Nolan students compete at international conference

Nolan Middle School students Katie Brooks, Morgan LaMarc, Madelyn Kumar and Olivia Yaryura aren’t afraid of a challenge, especially the kind that tests their critical thinking skills.

So, last month, the girls donned their thinking caps once again, this time for an international competition — the Future Problem Solving Program International’s International Conference held at the University of Wisconsin La Cross.

“We were really excited to get that far,” Madelyn said. “It was a really good experience.”

Katie, Morgan, Madelyn and Olivia, as well as Olivia’s older sister, Mackenzie, a student at Southeast High School, competed June 9-12 against thousands of other youths across the country and world in the Global Issues Team category.

During the competition, the Nolan team was given a scenario in which they had to react to a cyber attack. Then, the girls had just two hours to come up with potential solutions to the problem, pick the best solution and develop a plan of action for making it happen.

“We (had) researched natural disasters and the future scene was a cyber attack,” Madelyn said with a chuckle. “We were totally unprepared.”

But using the 16 categories they had learned, including basic needs, business and commerce and economics, among others, the girls worked toward 16 potential solutions to problems within the scenario and ended up scoring well enough to finish 23rd out of 60 teams.

The girls said the conference proved to be a valuable learning experience and will help them be better prepared for next year’s contest.

“It teaches us how to research topics,” Madelyn said of the program. “You’re not only researching for competition, but you’re also educating yourself about problems we face in (real life).”

Members of the Nolan Future Problem Solving team said they hope to compete in the international competition again next year.

The FPSP program is designed to stimulate critical thinking skills, encourage students to develop vision for the future and to prepare youths for future leadership roles.

The group’s adviser, Deborah Yaryura, couldn’t have been more proud. Placing in international competition, especially in the first year, is extremely difficult, she said.

“This team works beautifully together,” she said, noting the Nolan team placed second at state competition in April. “It’s such a great experience for them. It teaches you how to think, not what to think.”

For information about the program, visit www.fpspi.org.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Mackenzie Yaryura continues winning ways
Mackenzie Yaryura, an alternate, competed on a team with three boys she had never met. Their group took first place in their category, and Mackenzie said the experience taught her about compromise and collaboration even more than when she competed at internationals with her team last summer.

“It was a neat experience to see how (boys) think and try to read their writing,” Mackenzie said, noting she’s only competed with the other girls.