Eight Mid-Prairie Future Problem Solving teams traveled to Iowa City for the Future Problem Solving Regional Bowl on Friday, January 10th, 2020. Thirteen junior (4th-6th grade), ten middle (7th-9th grade), and five senior (10th-12th grade) division teams from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Mid-Prairie, and homeschool students met for the Grant Wood division bowl. Teams received a future scene on the topic of gamification. In the two hour time limit they worked to identify 16 challenges and the top underlying problem, brainstorm 16 solutions, and identify and apply criteria to evaluate their solutions. Based on their findings, teams wrote an action plan detailing their best solution idea. After completing written packets, teams planned and performed short skits to demonstrate their action plan, creating props from a list of approved materials. Judges awarded Mid-Prairie eighth graders Avery Slabaugh, Phoebe Shetler, Abby Fleming, and Joe Hall third place in the middle division for their team skit performance. Iowa evaluators will read and score the written packets of teams and those invited to advance to state will be notified next month. The State bowl will be held in Ames on March 13 and 14.
