Earlier this month, several Harker students qualified to compete at the international level, and more earned top spots at the state finals of this year’s Future Problem Solving (FPS) competition, in which teams of middle and high school students devise creative solutions to both local and global problems. This year’s topics dealt with challenges posed by increases in tourism, growing urbanization, climate changes effects on Antarctica and autonomous modes of transportation. Sixth graders Jessica Li, Tanya Reddy, Eesha Vailaya and Natalie Ye placed second in the junior level (grades 4-6) of the Global International Problem Solving event, earning them a trip to the FPS International Conference in June. Also qualifying for the International Conference were eighth grader Jessica Li, who took second place in the individual Global International Problem Solving event in the middle category, and sophomore Cyrus Ghane, who also qualified in the Global International Problem Solving individual event at the senior level. Other notable results included the team of sophomores Christy Ma, Aashvi Ravi and Ariel Zhang taking second in the Community Problem Solving event, in which they developed a program to reach out to unhoused people and create awareness of their situation.

Presentation of Action Plan/Skit, Junior Division (Grades 4-6)

Fifth Place: Anna Li, Derek Li, Caitlin Pangborn, Dhruv Sharma, all grade 5

Fourth Place: Jessica Li, Tanya Reddy, Eesha Vailaya, Natalie Ye, all grade 6

Presentation of Action Plan/Skit, Middle Division (Grades 7-9)

Second Place: Ushnish Chatterjee, Arush Savla, Tvisha Singh, Olivia Zhu, all grade 7

Presentation of Action Plan/Skit, Senior Division (Grades 10-12)

Fourth Place: Helen Gu, Christy Ma, Ariel Zhang, Leana Zhou, Aashvi Ravi, all grade 10

Scenario Writing, Senior Division Grades 10-12

Second Place: Cyrus Ghane, grade 10

Third Place: Linda Zeng, grade 10

Community Problem Solving (Community Problem Solving-where students design a real action to address a real solution and then carry it out somewhere in their community)

Second Place: Aashvi Ravi, Ariel Zhang, Christy Ma – Cradle of Hope, homeless outreach and empathy awareness of the concerns and issues facing the unhoused

Global International Problem Solving, Individual Junior

Fourth Place: Ayaan Kansal, grade 5

Fifth Place: Dhruv Sharma, grade 5

Sixth Place: Aditya Merchant, grade 6

Global International Problem Solving, Individual Middle

Second Place: Vivian Zhang, grade 8, qualified for International Conference

Sixth Place: Nirav Adavikolanu, grade 9

Global International Problem Solving, Individual Senior

Second Place: Cyrus Ghane, grade 10, qualified for International Conference

Fifth Place: Jayden Chen, grade 10

Sixth Place: Helen Gu, grade 10

Global International Problem Solving, Junior Team

Second Place: Jessica Li, Tanya Reddy, Eesha Vailaya, Natalie Ye, all grade 6; qualified for International Conference

Third Place: Jay Agarwal, Advay Narayanun, Aditya Merchant

Eighth Place: Ayyan Kansal, Demir Genc, Ved Singh, Ethan Wang

Global International Problem Solving, Middle Team

Third Place: Nirav Adavikolanu, Janvi Trivedi Nicholas Knauer, Anish Kosaraju

Global International Problem Solving, Senior Team

Fourth Place: ST-309 Charlie Wang, Hubert Lau, Jayden Chen