The Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) is a 50+ year old academic competition in which teams of up to four students apply a structured 6-step problem-solving process to complex, real-world global issues. Topics change each year and have included Digital Dark Age, Disappearing Cultures, Health Security, and Influencer Marketing.
The program runs across multiple competition tracks — Global Issues Problem Solving (team), Community Projects, Creative Writing, and Storytelling — and serves 30,000+ students annually. Teams work through qualifying rounds during the school year, with top performers advancing to affiliate finals and the international World Finals, held each June.
For 2026–27, the Open Affiliate lists $135 per four-student Global Issues team or $110 per individual, plus $50 for a new coach or $40 returning. Local affiliate prices may differ; World Finals and optional resources cost extra. International students not located near an official affiliate can participate through the Open Affiliate program — contact mail@fpspi.org for details. Visit fpspi.org to register and find your nearest affiliate.
2026–27 cycle check, November 4, 2026: The Open Affiliate page gives optional practice submissions October 15 and December 10, 2026; qualifying problem February 4, 2027; affiliate finals problem March 11; and World Finals registration May 1 for eligible qualifiers. These dates belong to that route and are not universal deadlines for all regional affiliates. An adult coach registers first and then receives student-registration instructions. The opening is described only as early August 2026; no exact opening day is inferred. The page also links a full official calendar; its additional document details could not be extracted during this check, so no further registration cutoff is asserted.
The International Conference page confirms the World Finals June 9–13, 2027 at Indiana University in Bloomington, for qualifying affiliate champions. This is a separate final event after local/affiliate competition, rather than a continuous academic-year stay. The 2027 final topic is planned for announcement March 1; that is an information release, not an application deadline. Future seasons and local-affiliate registration cutoffs are not established by this Open Affiliate schedule.