May 22, 2008
AS THE WELL GOES DRY, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
MEET THE CHALLENGE
Forget peak oil. The real problem, experts say, is peak water as demand for this precious resource rapidly outpaces supply.
It’s a formidable challenge, to be sure, but not one too big for seventh- and eighth-graders in the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition™ who will tackle it in this popular annual engineering education program.
To help schools get a jump on their projects, Future City is offering early registration before the close of the 2007-2008 school year. Although schools across the country have until October 15, 2008 to enroll, the program’s organizers hope that early sign-up will encourage better preparation and even wider participation. Regional Future City Competitions will be held in January 2009 and school registration is available online at www.futurecity.org.
Students work under the guidance of a teacher and volunteer engineer mentor to create future cities on computers using SimCity 4 Deluxe software donated to each school by Electronic Arts of Redwood City, California, and then build large tabletop models to scale. Students also prepare a brief abstract describing their city and an essay on a pressing social need, this year on water use. Since each home is in essence a microcosm of the global situation, this year’s essay challenges students to “design an innovative process that will create a self-sufficient system within the home which conserves, recycles and reuses all existing water sources.”
Future City National Director Carol Rieg notes that while the students’ tabletop models are often dazzling, it is the essays where many offer astonishing insights. “Their minds are open so they let themselves imagine a world shaped by the promise of technology and the desire for a better tomorrow,” she says. “They research the facts, talk to the experts, and then develop solutions that often amaze even the professionals. If anyone worries about what the future holds, I recommend a look at what these young people create.”
Besides stirring young people’s interests in science, technology, and mathematics, engineers say that Future City also introduces students to consider careers in engineering, a critical step in expanding the profession’s ranks.
First-place winners from 40 regional competitions receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 17th annual Future City National Finals in Washington, D.C., February 16-18, 2009 during Engineers Week. National grand prize is a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. More than 30,000 students from a record 1,111 middle schools participated in 2007-08.
The National Engineers Week 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, co-chaired in 2009 by Intel and the National Society of Professional Engineers. Major funding comes from Bentley Systems, Inc., Shell Oil Company, and Ford Motor Company.
For information, school registration, or to volunteer in the Future City Competition, visit www.futurecity.org and click on “Register,” or call 1-877-636-9578.
IN BRIEF: The National Engineers Week Future City Competition™ each year invites middle school students nationwide to create cities of tomorrow. Future City encourages interest in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on applications. This year's essay topic focuses on water use, challenging students to create self-sufficient water systems for the homes in their future cities. Registration deadline for schools nationwide is October 15, 2008. For information, school registration, or to volunteer in the Future City Competition, visit www.futurecity.org and click on “Register,” or call 1-877-636-9578.
