Danville High School’s Future Problem Solvers is shaping the minds of the future

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Danville High School’s Future Problem Solvers has been a program encouraging education in young students since 1974.

Preparing tomorrow’s leaders can be a tricky task, but as this group of students proves, all it takes is some dedication.

“We’re not a university town, we are not a city. So we don’t have some of the resources that a lot of other places do,” DHS Graduate Isaiah Easton said.

The Future Problem Solvers international competition has been shaping the minds of the future for over 50 years. At its June World Finals, the DHS team became the Community Problem Solving Grand Champions.

“I think I’ve taken 15 teams to internationals we’ve placed before. We always do community problem solving,” said the Future Problem Solvers Coach Lori Woods.

One classroom in DHS was unused and now, because of these students, it’s helping the next class of Vikings and the community in Danville with SAT prep and job applications.

“The SAT part of it was definitely one of the biggest things that helped me along with this project because I was scared about a SAT scores, how to prepare for it,” said DHS Senior Cole Monteo.

“Since I was a junior, I went through all of the testing seminars and stuff for the S.A.T. and I think that helped prepare a lot of us like not just me specifically a lot of my classmates I’ve spoken to, I think it helped to prepare them,” said DHS Senior Kendall Ranneberger.

Their coach, Lori Woods, who brought the competition to the high school says this program gives them the tools to think for themselves and develop their own voices and sense of confidence.

“In the room a lot of it is all their artwork because they’re like ‘well, we can go on canvas and make that we don’t have to go on somebody’s Etsy shop or go to TJ Max and buy all that”. That’s it, that’s part of it,” continued Woods.

The students said because some schools like Danville might not have as many resources as those in bigger cities like chicago, it’s even more important to lend a hand to fellow classmates as well as the community around you.

“I’m glad I got this before I was gone. And I think as a freshman coming up, seeing what what this can do for them and working hard in school, what it can do really benefit,” said DHS Graduate Cameron Feuerborn.

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