Skip to content

Competition Information

Students participating in the Future City Competition program will gain and demonstrate:

  • Problem solving and critical thinking skills
  • Time management
  • The ability to work in teams
  • Research and presentation skills
  • The application of math and science to practical problems
  • Resource allocation
  • Computer skills, creativity and evolving technology
  • An increased awareness of community related issues

The Challenge: Design and Build a City of the Future

Each team will create a city displaying residential, commercial and industrial areas, power plants, transportation systems, communication systems, etc.

Competition Guidelines

  • Teams representing the school at the regional competition will consist of three students (must be from the same school), an engineer-mentor, and a teacher-sponsor.
  • The students, with the help of the engineer-mentor and teacher-sponsor, will design the logical model of the city using SimCity.
  • The team will construct a scale model of the city section using recycled materials (plastic jugs, glass jars, aluminum cans, tubing, etc.) in their designs. The model must be no larger than 25″ (w) x 50″ (l) x 20″ (h).
  • The model must contain at least one moving part. Power sources must be self-contained (no external powerplugs).
  • The students will write a 500-word essay explaining their response to a specific engineering or design challenge.
  • The students will write a 200-word essay describing key design features of their city.
  • The students will explain the unique design features of their city design during team verbal presentation.
  • The total cost of all materials used to make the model and any materials used in support of the verbal presentation may not exceed $100 (cash or in-kind).
  • No laptop computers or videos can be used for the presentation.

How We Measure Success
Success had many facets this past school year.We continued to improve the competition experience for the students and volunteers by increasing communication and providing additional opportunities for the teams.We covered more territory in the state, touched more engineering societies, contacted more schools, and involved more students.Some of the things that we’ve accomplished over the years include:

  • Representation of Numerous Schools Districts including: Clark County (6th largest in the nation), Carson City, Douglas County, Lyon County, Pershing County, and Washoe County.
  • Participation of up to 46 schools with 230 teams of three students or more (over 1000 students) participated throughout Nevada.. Over 3000 Nevada students were exposed to the program through classroom or school related activities.
  • Over 300 engineer volunteers from more than 50 corporations and agencies served as mentors, judges, or committee chairs and organizers.The engineering volunteers represented 12 different professional engineering societies and disciplines
  • The School-Community Partnership office has recognized the Future City Competition as one of the top outreach programs in the Clark County School District.
  • The program has also received an award of merit, presented by Dr. Carlos Garcia, Clark County School Superintendent, on behalf of the Nevada Association for Career and Technical Education.
  • The members of the Future City Committee have also received special recognition before the Clark County School Board, on behalf of the Technology Curriculum Administration.

National Competition Finals
The National Finals are held in Washington, D.C. during National Engineers Week in February. Regional winners from around the country compete against each other for national honors and prizes.
The National Engineers Week Committee will provide the airfare and hotel accommodations for the five winning team members from each region. Team members will be responsible for all additional expenses such a ground transportation and meals.

Prizes
The First Place team will win a trip to the U.S. Space Camp. Other prizes include scholarships, computers, and savings bonds. In addition, teams will be eligible for special awards and recognition by engineering societies and other organizations.

By Anthony 2:50 pm