[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6372]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
   HONORING THE STUDENTS OF ELM PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL'S PROBLEM SOLVERS

  (Mr. SCHNEIDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, my district is home to Highland Park's 
Elm Place Middle School. The sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who 
make up the Problem Solvers team recently won their division at the 
Illinois Future Problem Solvers Bowl, and they will compete in the 
international competition in June.
  The Future Problem Solving Program encourages young students to think 
critically and creatively in order to develop a vision for the future 
and to become leaders. In my view, these Elm Place students have 
achieved all three.
  Their project, Tefkiir, connected them with a girls school in Jordan, 
and they began to exchange books and educational materials. Quickly, 
the students realized how much they all have in common--how much more 
binds us than separates us. The Elm Place students are moving on to the 
International Problem Solving Bowl, but they don't want to go without 
their partners, without their friends in Jordan. So the team raised 
money in our community to pay for the airfare. These students, a half a 
world apart, started this project together, and that's how they will 
finish it.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to use my time today to honor the students 
of Elm Place Middle School's Problem Solvers.

                          ____________________