Knox Central’s Community Problem Solving (CmPS) team won Grand Champions this past weekend at the Governor’s Cup State Finals in Louisville, Kentucky and will advance to the Future Problem Solving (FPS) International competition June 6-9, 2013 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
CmPS provides one of the most significant learning experiences available to a student confronting a real-life problem. A community problem may be one that exists within the school setting, local community, region, state, or nation.
Knox Central’s CmPS members include John Tyler Smith, Mollie Pope, Sadie Harris, Paige Cobb, Austin Hodge, and Allison Parsons. They are coached by Lisa Harris.
Although CmPS is not part of Governor’s Cup, the awards for CmPS are presented at the FPS Component Events Award Ceremony immediately preceding the Governor’ Cup awards ceremony.
A CmPS project is the highest level of service learning because of the depth of the services provided and the resources involved. Students go beyond supplying a curriculum related or volunteer service to analyzing the situation, identifying a problem area, generating new ideas, and implementing a difference-making plan of action. In the process students develop complex problem solving abilities, advanced communication skills, the ability to connect knowledge across disciplines, and the perseverance to overcome obstacles.