Future City Competition
Future City Competition is a national competition in the United States that focuses on improving student's math, engineering, and science skills. The program is open to students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades who attend a public, private or home school.
The National Engineers Week Future City Competition (www.futurecity.org) is an example of problem based learning with computer simulation. It is an example of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) education. The program asks 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from around the nation to team with engineer-volunteer mentors to create — first on computer and then in three-dimensional models — their visions of the city of tomorrow. The Future City Competition, organized under the National Engineers Week Foundation, has been operating under the National Engineers Week Future City Competition charter since 1992.
Aims
The aim of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition is to provide an exciting educational engineering program for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students that combines a stimulating engineering challenge with an inquiry-based application to present their vision of a city of the future.
Benefits
- The National Engineers Week Future City Competition provides a platform for students to increase their:
- Logical thinking skills,
- Problem-solving skills,
- Ability to work in teams,
- Research and technical writing
- Oral presentation skills,
- Application of coursework to practical problems,
- Technological skills, and
- An awareness of community and business issues on the local and global levels.
National Academic Content Standards
The Future City Competition components are strongly correlated to the National Academic Standards, particularly those connected to STEM education
State Academic Content Standards
State Academic Standards are based on the National Academic Standards.
- Two levels: regional competitions and the national finals for the winners of the previous contests. The goal is to design a futuristic city and discussing its important elements of a city: urban planning, zoning, transportation, energy, economy, environment, and education.
Team members represent their ideas and proposals in several ways:
- Essay about the yearly theme (for example, the theme of the 2010–2011 competition was "Providing a reliable and effective health care product that effectively improves the quality of life and comfort for a patient who is either a senior citizen or has a specific disease, or is suffering from an illness, injury or physical disability").
- A City Narrative discussing their city's attributes, features, and main concepts.
- A Physical Model to show a physical representation of their city. The model is to consist of as many recycled materials as possible, and must cost less than 100 dollars.
- Computer Design using Sim City 4 software.
- Presentation to describe their city to the judges on the day of the competition.
Winners and Theme of the 2006–2007
*Theme: Fuel Cells
- 1st Place: St. Thomas More School - Louisiana
- 2nd Place: Nevada Christian Home School - Nevada (Northern)
- 3rd Place: Helen Keller Middle School - Michigan
Winners and Theme of the 2007–2008
*Theme: Urban Disasters
- 1st Place: Heritage Middle School - Westerville, Ohio
- 2nd Place: Farnsworth Middle School - New York Albany
- 3rd Place: Our Lady Help of Christians School - Philadelphia
Winners and Theme of the 2008–2009
*Theme: Water
- 1st Place: Bexley Middle School - Ohio
- 2nd Place: St. Thomas More - Louisiana
- 3rd Place: St. Thomas the Apostle - Florida (South)
Winners of the 2009–2010
- 1st Place: Davidson IB Middle School - North Carolina
- 2nd Place: Valley Middle School - New Jersey
- 3rd Place: Northern Nevada Home School - Nevada (Northern)
Winners and Theme of the 2013–2014
*Theme: Tomorrow's Transit
- 1st Place: St. John Lutheran School - Michigan
- 2nd Place: Valley Middle School - New Jersey
- 3rd Place: HEAR Rockwall Homeschool - Texas (North)