- July 12, 2025
The Flagler Palm Coast GIPS team won first place. From left to right: Coach Danielle Moss, Vicky DaSilva Carvalheira, Ava Mello, Liam Lafferty and Jack Mikutel. Courtesy of Amy Kopach
Elevyn Thompson from Indian Trails Middle School won third place for her team, MAGIC. Pictured: Thompson with coach Hannah Anderson. Courtesy of Amy Kopach
Flagler County sent 59 students from Matanzas High School, Flagler Palm Coast High School, Indian Trails Middle School and Rymfire Elementary School to the International Future Problem Solvers Conference. Courtesy of Amy Kopach
A team of Flagler County students won first place at the Future Problem Solvers 2025 International Conference.
The conference is the highest level competition for the Future Problem Solvers. This year, 59 Flagler County students competed amidst 1,465 champion problem solvers from across 11 countries and 262 different schools and groups at Indiana University June 4-8.
Flagler County students placed at two divisions in the conference. The Flagler Palm Coast High Schools' Global Issues Problem Solving team - FPC students Jack Mikutel, Liam Lafferty, Vicky DaSilva Carvalheira and Ava Mello - placed first against the other senior teams in their division.
Elevyn Thompson, of Indian Trail Middle School, took third place in the junior division of the Multi Affiliate Global Issues Competition.
"All students and teams worked very hard to represent Flagler County and Florida the very best," FPS Coach Amy Kopach wrote in an email. "Just getting to compete at this level is an honor."
The Flagler County students ranged across all grade levels, with representatives from Matanzas High School, Flagler Palm Coast High School, Indian Trails Middle School and Rymfire Elementary School.
Kopach and fellow coach Beth Blumengarten said they are happy to see the amount of students who choose to participate in the FPS program each year.
"It is no small task to organize trips to the state and international competitions, but the experience for the students makes it all worth it," the coaches wrote in an email statement. "These are memories that they will hold on to forever.”
