2009-10 FUTURE CITY COMPETITION CHALLENGE FOR INDIANA’S MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
Designing affordable housing for those most in need is enormously complicated. But how to do it while adhering to LEED recognized green building standards, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint?
That’s the challenge for INDIANA’S middle schoolers as they prepare to take part in National Engineers Week Foundation’s 2009-10 Future City® Competition. Now entering its 18th year, Future City Competition invites seventh and eighth graders nationwide to create the cities of tomorrow and encourages interest in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on applications.
“Future City motivates students to learn more about the possibilities and opportunities for careers in engineering,” said Leslie Collins, Executive Director, National Engineers Week Foundation. “As they participate in the competition, they realize that engineering is exciting and creative and that they can use what they know to make a difference in the world. Helping young people discover what the field has to offer is a critical step in insuring that the engineering profession continues to grow in the years ahead.”
Themed Providing An Affordable Living Space For People Who Have Lost Their Home Due to a Disaster or Financial Emergency, this year’s Future City Competition will attract more than 33,000 students from 1,100 middle schools in regions located across the country. INDIANA is one of nearly 40 regions taking part in this year’s competition. Participating students are asked to design a model of their city using SimCity 4 Deluxe software, provided by Electronic Arts, and then build a physical model of the city using recycled materials. They will also write a research essay describing their design and a second narrative outlining the key features of their city.
The INDIANA regional competition gets underway with the new school year in the fall and culminates with the regional finals, taking place at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) on January 16. One winning team from INDIANA will qualify for a trip to the national finals in Washington DC, which take place during Engineer’s Week, February 15-17, 2010. The National Finals Grand Prize winners receive a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, provided by National Finals host Bentley Systems, Incorporated. The second and third prize winners receive $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships for their schools’ technology programs.
“As we begin the 9th year of Indiana Future City, our participating teachers confirm that this is not just a competition, but it is an outstanding STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) project-based program that connects to over 100 Indiana Academic standards”, said Indiana Regional Director Carol Dostal. “The program is short on cost ($25 for registration) and long on impact for students! At its heart, it demonstrates the link between the STEM subjects in a real-world project and, at its best, it makes our Indiana students better citizens as they learn about their own cities. IPFW is proud to coordinate and host this program!”
Registration deadline for schools nationwide is October 31, 2009. Future City is also looking for professional engineers who may be interested in serving as mentors. For information, school registration, or to volunteer in the Future City Competition, visit www.futurecity.org <www.futurecity.org> or the local site at www.etcs.ipfw.edu/fcc <www.etcs.ipfw.edu/fcc> or call Indiana Regional Coordinator Carol Dostal at 260-481-6905.
About Future City Competition
The 18th Annual Future City Competition, for seventh and eighth grade students, is held from September 2009 through February 2010. The National Future City Competition is sponsored in part by the National Engineers Week Foundation, a consortium of professional and technical societies and major U.S. corporations. Major funding comes from Bentley Systems, Incorporated, Ford Motor Company and Shell.
About Engineers Week
The National Engineers Week Foundation, a formal coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies, is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society. Founded in 1951, it is among the oldest of America’s professional outreach efforts. Co-chairs for 2010 are ExxonMobil Corporation and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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