CONTACT:
Don Wittmer (312) 930-9119 dwittmer@hntb.com
Bill Knight 703) 684-2889 889 bknight@futurecity.org
CHICAGO IS GETTING AN EARLY START ON 2010 FUTURE CITY COMPETITION
Chicago, March: This nationwide contest asks Chicago regional seventh and eighth-graders to design and build their visions of the cities of tomorrow. For the past seventeen years, junior high and middle school students from across the country, including the Chicago area, have designed their versions of this city of the future for the National Engineers Week Future City CompetitionTM. This year Chicago is getting an early jump on the contest. In preparation for the competition, Don Wittmer, regional coordinator for Chicago, is requesting Chicago area teachers and engineers to demonstrate an interest in the program. Many of the schools that have participated in the program in prior years have now incorporated the Future City Program into their curriculum.
The non-profit competition asks seventh - and eighth-graders to design -- first on computer, then in a large three-dimensional model -- a city of the future. The students work with their teacher and a volunteer engineer mentor from the community. Though they may sound like a fantasy, the designs are far from pie in the sky. The students must take into account real city problems such as pollution, crime, traffic, and unemployment and then solve these issues. Students from the Chicago area will begin work on their future cities in October, and will compete in regional finals in January, 2010 at the University of Illinois - Chicago.
The area's first place team wins a trip to Washington, D.C., for the national competition to be held during National Engineers WeekTM, February 14 - 20, 2010. National Engineers Week (www.eweek.org) is always celebrated around the time of George Washington's birthday, since, as a surveyor, he was one of the nation's first engineer. More than 30,000 students from 1000 schools in 38 regions participated in the 2009 competition. It is sponsored by the National Engineers Week Committee, a consortium of engineering associations and major U.S. industries.
Regional first place teams receive a trip to Washington D.C. for the national finals from February 15-17, 2010 during National Engineers WeekTM. Prizes for the 2009 competition winning Future City team included a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Other prizes include scholarships, computers and savings bonds. In addition, teams will be eligible for special awards and recognition sponsored by engineering societies and other organizations.
Schools wishing to sign up for the 2010 Chicago Regional Future City Competition, or engineers interested in volunteering as mentors should contact Don Wittmer, Chicago regional coordinator, at (312) 930-9119 or via e-mail at dwittmer@hntb.com. Future City Competition materials are now available, please register at www.futurecity.org. The deadline for registering is October 15.
More information on the competition can also be found at the Future City -Chicago Competition home page at http://www.futurecitychicago.org.
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Since 1951, NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEKTM, has been the nationwide celebration of the engineering profession, to acknowledge the essential role which engineering has played in advancing civilization and adding quality to our lives. In Chicago, activities scheduled include engineering lectures, student outreach efforts, bridge building competitions and exhibitions of engineering achievements. For information of the Chicago program visit the EWEEK-Chicago website at: www.chicagolandeweek.org