Future Problem Solving created Community Projects to move students beyond discussion into meaningful action. The organization’s mission is to develop young people globally to design and achieve positive futures through critical and creative thinking. While many educational models raise awareness about global and local challenges, few provide a structured pathway for students to investigate real concerns and implement solutions themselves.
Community Projects was developed to bridge that gap. Inspired by the belief that students must “learn by doing,” the program connects theory with action by guiding learners through a six-step problem-solving process that builds analytical thinking, originality, leadership, collaboration, and resilience. Students do not simulate change - they enact it.
The innovation was created to cultivate agency, helping young people move from concern about the future to ownership of it. By equipping students with research tools, decision-making strategies, and implementation frameworks, Community Projects transforms awareness into measurable impact and nurtures a generation prepared to address complex, interconnected challenges such as planetary health.
In practice, Community Projects is a structured, student-driven process grounded in the six-step problem-solving model. Students identify a real area of concern within a chosen community (local, regional, national, or global) and conduct sustained research to understand root causes and stakeholders.
They generate multiple solution ideas using creative thinking tools, develop criteria to evaluate feasibility and impact, and select a strategic action plan. Students then implement their plan in the real world, collaborating with community partners, adapting to obstacles, and documenting measurable outcomes.
The project unfolds through three core elements: a project proposal outlining research and planned action, a project report detailing implementation and impact, and supporting materials that demonstrate evidence and reflection. Throughout the process, students practice systems thinking, ethical leadership, collaboration, and communication.
Rather than a one-time service activity, Community Projects is sustained inquiry with authentic implementation. It empowers students to design and execute solutions that improve their communities while building lifelong problem-solving capacity.
Future Problem Solving’s Community Projects has expanded organically and through intentional partnerships, growing from its U.S. roots into a global network of schools and youth organizations. As educators witness students tackling authentic issues, more communities adopt the framework for action-based learning that strengthens critical and creative thinking.
A defining strength is student partnership with local environmental stakeholders. Teams research community needs, interview experts, collaborate with nonprofits, engage local council and government leaders, and work alongside organizations with shared goals. One example is a student-led “Bee Aware” initiative that partnered with Beechworth Honey and the WheenBee Foundation to promote pollinator health. These authentic collaborations deepen learning while advancing environmental well-being in tangible ways.
Strategic collaborations, including work with the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, have further strengthened the model by integrating structured planning and reflection tools that enhance educator capacity and support sustainable growth. Through grassroots adoption, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful partnerships, Future Problem Solving continues to scale Community Projects while empowering young people to lead meaningful environmental change.
We have strengthened Community Projects by integrating structured project management frameworks and expanding real world mentorship to deepen systems level impact. Through collaboration with the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, we embedded tools for goal setting, stakeholder analysis, risk assessment, timelines, and measurable impact evaluation directly into the student process. This ensures young people move beyond environmental awareness to targeted, sustainable action that considers interconnected ecological, social, and economic systems.
Beyond academic resources, the broader PMI global network extends this innovation. PMI volunteers engage with students at our International Conference, including World Finals, where they observe presentations, ask rigorous questions, and provide authentic professional feedback on feasibility, scalability, and long term sustainability. Students refine implementation strategies, assess unintended consequences, and strengthen alignment with community and planetary health goals while gaining insight into sustainability aligned careers.
We have also expanded educator supports through reflection guides and scalable training modules that connect macro level systems thinking with practical execution. These enhancements increase implementation quality across our global network and cultivate eco ambition, equipping students not only to understand planetary challenges but to lead measurable environmental change.
If you want to try Community Projects, start by familiarizing yourself with how the program works and what’s required. Review the Quick Start Guide on the Future Problem Solving website, which outlines the key steps and expectations for Community Projects, including project requirements https://resources.futureproblemsolving.org/article/quick-start-guide-community-projects/
Begin by learning the structure of the process: students identify a real world issue or area of concern they want to address and conduct research to understand it. Then they apply the structured problem-solving process to define an underlying problem, generate and evaluate solution ideas, and develop an actionable plan.
Next, explore the program requirements and review examples of student work to understand what successful projects look like. The Quick Start Guide provides links to sample submissions and evaluation criteria that can help you shape your project and coach or support students.
Check your local Future Problem Solving affiliate’s calendar to see deadlines and competition dates and connect with a coach or mentor who can guide the team through planning and implementation.
Finally, use the resources in the Future Problem Solving Resource Library (including planning tools and guides) to organize student research, plan the project steps, and document progress. Starting with these foundational steps will position you well to develop a Community Project.
