Phearless Phragmites Phighters Awarded First Place Trophy at Future Problem Solving International Competition!
Back row L to R:
Dylan Quinn, Jennifer Modula (co-adviser), Jai Patel, Gianna Iannaccone, Charlie Duffy, Rachel Glantzberg, Tia Bajaj, Anna DePinho, Beth Topinka (co-adviser), Gavin Normand, Rafferty Burden
Front row: Evangeline Huey, Brendan DeRose, Prisha Kupsad, Mahi Desai, Joshua Sullivan
Millstone Township Elementary School’s Community Problem Solvers Team, the Phearless Phragmites Phighters, was awarded 1st place in the Junior Team Division for Environmental Concerns on Sunday, June 11, 2017 at the Future Problem Solving International Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Teams from around the world, representing 10 different countries, competed in the Community Problem Solving competition. Each team identified an issue affecting their local or global community, then spent a countless hours over a year or more analyzing, researching, developing action plans, and working to address the problem.
L to R; Rachel Glantzberg, Tia Bajaj, Jai Patel, Rafferty Burden, Gianna Iannaccone
The Phearless Phragmites Phighters team was scored on their timed assembly of a complex, dynamic tabletop display, with no adult assistance permitted. The display included a moving drone model, Phragmites density model, rhizome model, 3 scrapbooks documenting the team’s research, action, and outcomes, a project video, a drone aerial survey video, GIS maps, an interactive Invase-Away demonstration, and more. The team was also scored on their performance in a half-hour interview conducted by International Conference evaluators. Following their competitive events, Community Problem Solving Division teams presented their work at a CmPS Fair. For two hours, the Phearless Phragmites Phighters enthusiastically explained their project to fairgoers, and they had the opportunity to visit displays by other teams from around the world.
Team with USGS Dr. Randy Hines L to R: Dylan Quinn, Rafferty Burden, Gavin Normand, Joshua Sullivan, Brendan DeRose, Jai Patel, Dr. Hines, Evangeline Huey, Gianna Iannaccone, Anna DePinho, Mahi Desai, Rachel Glantzberg
In addition to their competition events, the team was invited for a private tour of the U. S. Geological Survey’s Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La Crosse. USGS Wildlife Biologist Dr. Randy Hines led the tour that featured research tanks of native and invasive fish, and the geology of the Mississippi River in the La Crosse region. Dr. Hines complimented the team on its efforts to educate the public about the impact of invasive species, and asked the students questions about their project.
L to R: Rafferty Burden, Evangeline Huey, Charlie Duffy, Mahi Desai, Tia Bajaj, Anna DePinho, Brendan DeRose, Joshua Sullivan
The Sunday before traveling to their International Competition, the team presented their invasive species project at the 2017 World Science Festival at NYU’s Kimmel Center in New York City. As part of the Ultimate Science Sunday events, team members were interviewed by 4-time Emmy Award winning writer, Lynn Brunelle, who writes for Bill Nye the Science Guy.
L to R: Evangeline Huey, Charlie Duffy, Rachel Glantzberg, Mahi Desai, Tia Bajaj, Anna DePinho, Brendan DeRose, Joshua Sullivan
The team is grateful for the involvement and support of the Millstone Township community throughout the year. They are especially thankful for the collaboration of the Millstone Township Environmental Commission and the Millstone Township Committee. Millstone resident Mr. Nicholas DellaRosa’s expert instruction on GIS mapping techniques was crucial in helping the team identify and map the results of their community survey of Phragmites australis sightings. The team is also thankful for the support of community members who participated in the survey and contributed supplies for Invase-Away kits that were distributed to all Girl, Boy, and Cub Scout groups in Millstone.
L to R:
Charlie Duffy, Dylan Quinn, Gavin Normand, Jai Patel, Joshua Sullivan, Brendan DeRose, Rafferty Burden, Rachel Glantzberg, Evangeline Huey, Gianna Iannaccone, Anna DePinho, Tia Bajaj, Prisha Kupsad
Elementary School teachers Beth Topinka and Jennifer Modula, co-advisors for the Community Problem Solver Club, were delighted on Monday, June 12th, when the tired team members came bounding into the STEAM Lab, eager to map out their next steps to tackle the problem of invasive Phragmites.