State Bowl Central!

General Information

The VAFPS board of directors is closely monitoring the current situation presented by the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on our scheduled State Bowl at the end of April. We are currently investigating an alternate plan for continuing our affiliate GIPS competitions in time to submit Virginia competitors for the International conference. Please continue to visit the website in the coming weeks for further updates and information.

The State Bowl is the culminating activity of Future Problem Solving of Virginia’s yearlong program. Our goal is to recognize excellence and creativity in problem solving and select our representatives to the International Conference.

Virginia Future Problem Solving (VAFPS) will issue name tags for all participants to help everyone get to know each other and assist with security.
Casual dress is appropriate for both participants and coaches for all events at the state bowl.
The registration fee for participants includes Friday night dinner. Participants and coaches are admitted to food lines with their name tags. Volunteers and guests may purchase a dinner voucher for $5, available at the T-shirt table.
VAFPS program merchandise and 2019 T-shirts will be available for sale.
A trophy will be awarded for first, second and third place winners in team and individual competitions. Each member of a winning team will receive a program medallion. One plaque will be awarded to the group winners of the presentation competition. A certificate will be given to each registered coach and participant. There will be special awards for CmPS and Scenario winners.
Future Problem Solving will supply Global Issues Problem Solving (G.I.P.S.) teams and individuals with blank booklets and copies of the future scenes. Coaches should bring a supply of no. 2 pencils, scratch paper (if desired), dictionaries, and thesauri.

All state bowl events will take place at Powhatan High School in Powhatan County. Participants must be seated in the school auditorium promptly at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12. Since this is a regular school day, please wait until 2:45 p.m. to enter the building. The complete schedule for all events is posted in the State Bowl Schedule.

Student participation at all bowl levels requires paid registration. The registration fee for each G.I.P.S. team participant is $128. The fee for an individual participant is $32. CmPS and Scenario contestants pay $14 for Friday’s events (which covers the Friday evening dinner) or $18 for both Friday and Saturday.

A Scenario Writer/CmPS participant who also competes in the booklet writing competition (team/individual) is charged the $32 fee. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 29. All registration takes place in advance of the state bowl. Any substitutions or additions to teams after this date must be made at check-in.

The following items will be provided for you when you arrive at the school:

1. A sealed package with copies of the state bowl future scene for each G.I.P.S. team member and individual;

2. One complete, blank FPS booklet for each G.I.P.S. team and participant in the individual competition;

3. An Action Plan form on carbonless copy paper so that each team will have a copy of their underlying problem and action plan to help them prepare their presentations;

4. Presentation of Action Plan Summary and Registration forms for use in Presentation of Action Plan competitions;

5. Name tags for FPSers and coaches;

6. A form to make last-minute changes or corrections of your registered teams; and

7. A diagram of Powhatan High School's floor plan.

Powhatan High School has a large parking lot with plenty of space for cars and buses. Please wait until at least 2:00 p.m. to park. Powhatan buses do not leave the property until 2:50 p.m. leaving more parking after that time.

Qualifying G.I.P.S. individuals who participated in the yearlong program compete at the state bowl with the same future scene as teams, but write eight challenges and eight solutions rather than the 16 challenges and solutions written by teams.

Each G.I.P.S. team must present a four-minute presentation of their action plan in the presentation competition. Senior teams will present a spontaneous action plan presentation on Friday evening. Junior and middle division teams will perform their planned presentations on Saturday afternoon (see schedule). Even if one or two students are granted permission to leave after the problem solving competition, the rest of the team must still present their action plan. Competitors in the individual competition are required to participate in the presentation competition; they must join together with a team on their grade level division from their school district. A team’s presentation may include as many as seven participants.

VAFPS will supply each team with Presentation of Action Plan materials with a complete list of these materials and quotes on Friday evening after the Friday Awards Ceremony. These materials are to be secured by the coach or designee until Saturday morning. Teams are encouraged to spend time Friday evening resting and relaxing in preparation for Saturday. The coach or designee will provide teams with the Presentation of Action Plan materials at 8:30 a.m. and carefully time a one-and a half hour work session. Teams may use time prior to the 10:30 a.m. start time to discuss and plan their thoughtful skits. The senior level teams, using only program-provided site props and quotes, will give a spontaneous presentation of their Action Plan on Friday evening. This competition will be held immediately following the Friday evening awards ceremony. Teams of seniors will exercise their problem solving skills by judging junior and middle division presentations on Saturday.

Although students are limited to using the materials we supply, coaches should bring some “tools” with them: scissors, color markers, one roll of tape, staplers, pens/pencils, one roll of paper towels (any kind/size), one box aluminum foil (25 feet size) and up to ten sheets of colored paper (8 12 x 11). Future Problem Solving will not provide these items, which are helpful for putting together costumes and props.

Complete rules and evaluation guidelines will be distributed and posted on the website before the bowl.

As guests of the Virginia Future Problem Solving Program and Powhatan County Public Schools, participants are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and honorable manner. We will not tolerate destructive behavior to persons or property or use of alcohol or illegal drugs. Individuals violating this code will be asked to leave immediately and will be assessed for any damages. Please review the Participation Contracts and Authorization of Treatment of Minor with your students and return the signed forms at the check-in table at the state bowl. Do not mail them to the state office. Coaches should bring medical cards and medication for students with medical issues.

Future Problem Solving Program of Virginia often uses examples from team and individual competitions for educational or promotional purposes. Additionally, photographs or video presentations taken or made during or for attendance at state bowl events are published on the program website. This signed document provides VAFPS permission to use materials in part or whole to promote or educate others regarding the program. Coaches must return signed forms at the registration check-in table at the state bowl.

Name tags must be worn by everyone. Observers (parents and siblings) as well as volunteers must also be registered on-site during the competition. Name tags, which include meal vouchers, may be purchased for observers on site at $5 per person on Friday.

The state bowl is governed by the 2019 State Bowl Rules of the Competition. Please familiarize yourself and your teams with these rules.

Students who wrote the winning booklet have won the right to compete; substitutions are discouraged. However, if a student on the qualifying team cannot attend the state bowl, the coach may replace that member with another student who has participated on a Future Problem Solving team this year. If that team goes on to win the state title, the students who participated at the state bowl will represent Virginia at the International Conference. The state director must approve replacements or additions of more than one team member. The International Conference will be held at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from June 5–9, 2019. Parents, school administrators, and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

International Bids

VAFPS will issues International invitations to the highest ranking G.I.P.S. teams and individuals in each grade level division (junior, middle, senior, adult) whose state bowl submissions are judged to be of sufficient competitive caliber to advance. Thwo additional at-large bids, selected on the basis of booklet quality, will be announced at the State Bowl Awards Ceremony. This means that both the first and second place teams in two of the place team in each division will earn bids to the International Conference with the potential for second and possibly third place teams earning a bid, subject to their potential to adequately participate in the rigorous arena of world competition. First place Community Problem Solving Teams/Individuals, first place scenario writers and first place scenario performers that have met the Virginia eligibility requirements are also awarded an International Conference bid.

If you have additional questions about the state bowl, please contact Patty Haskins at the state office:

Phone: (804) 310-4545 • E-mail:

You may also address specific questions about the state bowl site to Patti Rabil, State Bowl Coordinator, at .