What is Future City? The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ 4 Deluxe software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, DC in February. Click on link to show video:

Over the next four months, students work as a team to apply math and science concepts to real-world problems, flex their problem-solving skills, develop teamwork habits, explore engineering and its many career options and become better citizens. Students build 21 st Century Skills such as teamwork, public speaking, project management, working independently and writing and research. So you are asking yourself, “What is an Engineer?” - Engineers are changing the world all the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with teams of smart, inspiring people to invent, design and create things that matter. - They are team players with independent minds who ask: “How can we develop a better recycling system to protect the environment; how can we design a school that can withstand an earthquake; or how can we create cutting-edge special effects for movies?”

So now are you asking yourself, “How can I get involved in Future City?” There is an informational meeting … When: Monday, September 24 Time: 3:30pm – 4:15pm Where: Mrs. Saylor’s room 208 (7 th Grade) Please invite your parents too! Listen to the announcements and join us! Future City is really the whole package…SimCity, writing, researching, hands-on problem solving and presenting. I feel like I have two jobs – one is my school job, where I sit and take notes and listen and the other is my “real job” where I get to use what I learned to design a SimCity, write an essay, or figure out how to make the pump work on the model. - Sweta S., Future City Student, Cedar Rapids, IA