Caledonia Argus

Future Problem Solvers make 15th trip to state

Posted: 4/16/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

What academic team can say it has qualified for state 15 years in a row?

And out of those 15 state appearances, there have been 12 years where teams or individuals have qualified for international competition.

Caledonia area public schools will be sending two teams and one individual to compete against 19 other schools in the senior high division of the Future Problem Solvers State Bowl Saturday, April 20, at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, MN. This is Caledoniaís 15th year going to state.

The first team includes juniors Nicole Heintz, Paul Whitesitt, Steven Neuman and Chris Kemp, whom placed first in the region. The second team includes sophomores Anna Bulman, Carrie Meiners, Julie Abrahamzon and Sarah Doty, who placed third at regions. The regional topic was organ donation. The state topic will be environmental law. Sophomore Michael Kruckow will compete as an individual scenario writer at state.

The first and second placing teams at the state bowl will compete at the international FPS competition June 6-9 at University of Connecticut in Storrs. Because of the number of teams competing, Minnesota can have more teams qualifying for the international competition. Normally, only the first place finishers qualify for the international competition.

FPS begins in 1987

FPS has gone through many changes to get to 15 years of state competition. FPS Coach Cheryl Whitesitt recalls how it began.

In 1985, a friend persuaded Whitesitt to become an FPS state evaluator in Wisconsin as a way to get out of the house once in a while. At the time she had three young children. Then in 1987, Whitesitt was invited to talk about FPS at an R.I.F. (Reading is Fundamental) meeting with teachers at Caledonia Elementary School. Whitesitt said teachers were excited about the program and afterward asked her, ëSo, when can you start?í To which she smartly responded, ìWhen you can give me some kids.î

She hadnít seriously considered coaching a team, but after talking to her state representative, she found she was more than qualified because of her experience as an evaluator.

So, she started a team as a volunteer FPS coach of fourth and fifth grade students in January of 1987. Since it was mid-season, the team did not attempt to qualify for state. She explained, ìAt that point, I didnít think I could have any students ready for competition.î

The next year FPS included more kids, 4th through 6th grades. That year, 1988, the sixth grade students went to state and placed fourth overall. She said, ìYou can see why these kids were a little bit excited.î

That sixth grade team included Angie Denstad, Chad Harms, Marc Rukavina and Kristi Weichert.

FPS challenges students

Parents heard plenty of things from their kids about FPS. Whitesitt said, ìIíd work with students 40 minutes a week and parents would tell me, ëThatís all we hear about.íî

One of the reasons students enjoyed FPS, said Whitesitt, is because these were kids that wanted to be challenged and werenít challenged in other classes. When students first began learning about FPS, the amount of work involved was overwhelming. But then, she said, ìThey liked the opportunity to think and create.î

Last year when the FPS team was at the International FPS competition in Athens, Georgia, Chad Harms, former FPS student, spoke to the team about how he still uses his future problem solving skills as a commercial airplane pilot. He said that he is relied upon by many people to make quick, concise decisions if an emergency occurs in the air.

FPS is based on six steps for brainstorming solutions to problems and Harms said he still knows the steps. Harms spent eight years in future problem solvers at CHS.

The steps include: brainstorming topic-related challenges; identifying an underlying problem; brainstorming potential solution ideas to the underlying problem; developing criteria to judge solutions; evaluating solutions to determine the best solution; and developing an action plan.

Being a state evaluator, believes Whitesitt, is a big reason the teams were so successful at state. Whitesitt now is also a trainer. ìI can teach them both sides of the process. Iím really imbedded in it,î she said.

Although, Whitesitt does not evaluate her own team, it has been noticed that teams who have evaluators as coaches have teams who do better at state.

As the initial group continued through the grades, FPS expanded from grades four through ten. Meanwhile, Whitesitt continued to volunteer her time as a coach. She said, ìThere was a time when I was volunteering one to two days a week. As soon as I start these kids I promise them my life.î

Whitesitt explained that volunteering in the school was where she wanted to be because she had kids in school.

In 1998, Whitesitt decided to limit her coaching to the 7th through 12th grade level because of the amount of dedication involved. Then, this year she limited it further to just include the senior high level, 9th through 12th grades.

In 1995, her volunteering expanded to include becoming a state trainer for FPS. Then in 1996, Whitesitt became treasurer for the state FPS. She volunteers other ways by designing the registration and pamphlet information for the state FPS.

The district made the FPS coach an official coaching position in 1999. So, for the past three years Whitesitt has received a salary.

The FPS teams have had assistance from others. In the early 1990s, Carol Moen-Bucholz helped coach as did Liz Wanschura.

Carol Abrahamzon coached the Community Problem Solvers team.

Peggy and John Derrick have also volunteered their time for the teams as well.

Budget cuts affect FPS

Last year the FPS team was affected by the budget cuts that were implemented. Whitesitt said, ìHowever, with the budget cuts, I have used my salary to make ends meet.î

Last year, when the FPS team qualified for nationals, the team had one month to fund raise approximately $5,000 to pay for the trip. The year before that the trip and other entry fees for competition were paid for by the district.

Whitesitt feels the fund raising last year took away from the students time to prepare for the national competition. ìThe community was very supportive. The problem with that (fund raising) is, ëam I going to be a coach or a fund raiser?í They did not go as prepared as they had been with me coaching,î she explained.

Next year more money will be cut, and the district will not direct any funds to pay for entry fees, however, they will continue to fund the coaching position.

State placings:

2001: 1st in middle division, two senior division teams placed fourth and fifth. 2000: Community problem solvers- 1st. 1999: senior division 1st in written and 1st in oral, 1st place senior division individual state champion, middle division-4th place. 1998: senior division 2nd place, middle division- 2nd place, 2nd place individual middle division, 2nd place senior division scenario, 3rd place senior division scenario. 1997: 1st place scenario writer in senior division. 1996: senior divisions 2nd place team, 1st place scenario writer in senior division. 1995: middle division-1st in scenario, 1st in individual. Senior division- 1st scenario writing, 1st individual. 1994: 1st in junior scenario writing, 2nd senior division team. 1993: 1st in junior division scenario writing, 3rd in senior division scenario writing and 4th in senior division. 1992: 1st in junior division scenario writing, 4th in middle division team. 1991: 1st in junior division scenario writing, 4th in middle division team. 1990: 3rd in middle division team. 1989: 5th in junior division team, 6th in intermediate division team. 1988: 4th in junior division team

International trips & placings:

1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

No teams have placed.

Meghan Rollins is the only person from Caledonia High School to place at international competition. She placed first as a scenario writer.

Scenario writers have qualified for internationals since 1991, but chose to go in the years 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996,1997 and 1998.

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