North Texas Regional National Engineers Week Future City© Competition

Please help us notify middle school educators about the opportunity to participate in the North Texas Regional National Engineers Week Future City® Competition. The registration deadline is 31 October.

Using a hands-on, inquiry-based strategy, the Future City program gives middle school students a fun way to tackle real-world problems while building their STEM skills. Teams of students, with the guidance of a teacher and an engineer-mentor, design a city using SimCity software. Cost is minimal and we provide the software. The winning team gets a trip to Washington, DC to compete in the national finals.

Highlights This Year:
• Theme (research paper topic): Fuel Your Future -- Imagine new ways to meet our energy needs and maintain a healthy planet.
• The program is now open to 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Any public, private, parochial or home school is eligible to enter.
• We have developed the Future City STEM Learning Blocks to offer educators a series of project-based learning activities that uphold the integrity of the cross-disciplinary, STEM learning experience. The Learning Blocks, combined with the Future City program, provide a masterful incorporation of practical application to the current curriculum content.

This will be the twelfth North Texas regional competition. Last year more than 600 students participated. Dozens of engineers have already signed up to support the 2011-12 competition. We need your help to notify middle school teachers of this exciting, worthwhile opportunity. Contact me with questions, comments, or for more information (see also the website www.dfwfuturecity.org).

Central Texas (Austin/San Antonio) and Southeast Texas (Houston) conduct regional competitions, as well. Information on these and the National Finals can be accessed at www.futurecity.org.

Jean Eason
N TX Regional Coordinator
Future City Competition
j.eason@ieee.org
www.dfwfuturecity.org

NOTE: FC is aligned with the national standards for math, science and technology education (www.futurecity.org/resources_nationalstandards.shtm) and has been approved by NASSP for inclusion in the National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities.

Lone Star News

More information is located with listing of local affiliated groups in Texas. Representation, major events, and other information on each group is available on the Lone Star News page. Contact information for regional directors is located on the board members page.