Rymfire Elementary School's Positivity Patrol placed fourth in Community Problem Solving. Courtesy photo
Matanzas High School's Eva Luis served as Florida's flag bearer at the Future Problem Solvers World Finals at Indiana University. Courtesy photo
Indian Trails Middle School's Ready, Set, Work team (Community Problem Solving). Courtesy photo
Indian Trails Middle School's Mia Puccio placed second as an individual competitor in Community Problem Solving. Courtesy photo
Flagler Palm Coast's Muhammad Khawaja (center) placed second with his teammates from other schools in Multi-Affiliate Global Issues. Courtesy photo
Matanzas' Eva Luis placed sixth in Creative Writing at the Future Problem Solvers World Finals. Courtesy photo
Flagler Palm Coast's World Finals participants. Courtesy photo
Matanzas' The Real You team (Community Problem Solving). Courtesy photo
Matanzas High School's six World Finals participants exchanged mementos with competitors from other states and countries. Courtesy photo
Indian Trails Middle School's Volunteer Engineers (Community Problem Solving). Courtesy photo
Flagler Schools sent 45 students from four schools to the Future Problem Solvers World Finals on June 10-14 at Indiana University in Bloomington.
The Flagler students represented Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast high schools, Indian Trails Middle School, and Rymfire Elementary School and competed in all five Future Problem Solving components — Global Issues Problem Solving, Multi-Affiliate Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving, Creative Writing and Storytelling.
Four Flagler teams and individuals earned medals and trophies:
Flagler’s students were among 2,300 World Finals participants from 11 countries, 33 states and 259 schools. The week-long event was packed with competitions, workshops and showcases but also allowed the students from around the world to join together in a memento exchange, variety show and dance.
Amy Kopach, Matanzas’ FPS coach and an FPS Florida Northeast board member, was making her 10th trip accompanying students to the World Finals in her 14 years coaching. She said this was one of the best FPS events she has attended.
I am always impressed by the level of thinking these students give and all they are accomplishing. Competing against other students around the world is incomparable.
— AMY KOPACH, FPS coach, board member
“As a group we made memories and all of the students were focused on their competitions,” Kopach said. “I am always impressed by the level of thinking these students give and all they are accomplishing. Competing against other students around the world is incomparable. It is a very busy week, but we made time for some fun. This year we were able to tour the Indiana University basketball and football stadiums. It was amazing to be able to see where athletes train, play, hold press (conferences) and live.”
MATANZAS HIGH SCHOOL: Coach Amy Kopach (six participents).
Community Problem Solving — The Real You (Wesley Kopach, Willa Ames, Diana Kolodiy, Dempsey Manhart and Mary Grace Seward).
Creative Writing — Eva Luis, sixth place.
FLAGLER PALM COAST HIGH SCHOOL: Coach Danielle Moss (seven participants).
Global Issues Problem Solving — Abigail Blumengarten, Lillian Ames, Annnabelle Machado and Victoria DaSilva Carvalheira).
Storytelling — Emma Gilbert.
Multi-Affiliate Global Issues — Muhammad Khawaja, sixth place. Sydney Mahon.
INDIAN TRAILS MIDDLE SCHOOL: Coaches Beth Blumengarten Neil Kopach and Hannah Anderson (16 participants).
Community Problem Solving — Volunteer Engineers (Baedan Canfield, Kam Weisstein, Analyn Hurley, Dilan Glodav and Jaxon Letterman). Ready, Set, Work (Avery Mahon, Mia Kopcikova, Elevyn Thompson, Illiana Stockman, Pina Gitto and Olivia Willems). Mia Puccio (individual competitor), second place.
Storytelling — Katelyn Castello.
Multi-Affiliate Global Issues — MacKenzie MacDonald; Tamir Robinson; Gabe Colon.
RYMFIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Coaches Amber Acosta and Caryn Taylor (16 participants).
Community Problem Solving — The Positivity Patrol (Derrick Hatter, Cole Delacruz, Abdo Aldra, Ethan Verdote, Austin May, Jordyn Maffei, Aspen Lester, Mira Gitto and Cece Dorozsmay), fourth place. Reading to Relatives — (Layla Verdote, Connelly Davis, Noelle Castello, Gabriel Shuler, Enzo Gitto, Mariah Mullins and Gabby Manley).
