Parental support is paramount to a child's success. However, in middle school, students self-select a research track that appeals to their interests.
Many of the topics that we research in FPS are new to the students. You can support your child's participation by helping manage time to allow for research at libraries, museums, and events that would build schema. Students are provided with readings and parents are encouraged to discuss relevant current events at home. You can also support your child by encouraging them to think beyond just the facts, and to dig deeper into the topics with a futuristic mindset. Ultimately, this is your child's research path and the work they complete as a team must be their own. In PRISM, we focus on the process of problem solving and not on how we perform at the competition. To do so would diminish the efforts of our young problem solvers and place the focus solely on an extrinsic motivator.
