Eastern Iowa students set to show off ‘future cities’ at competition Saturday

CEDAR RAPIDS — Organizers of this year's Future City Iowa regional competition are expecting a record number of teams as the program celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The competition, through which students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades imagine, research, design and build cities of the future that showcase solutions to global sustainability issues, takes place Saturday at Prairie Point Middle School, 8015 Kirkwood Blvd. SW in Cedar Rapids.

A record 51 teams made up of middle school students from across Iowa are set to compete. Kristine Sorensen, co-coordinator for Future City Iowa, said about 18 schools will be represented.

'Some of these kiddos have been working since the first day of school in August,' Sorenson said. 'It's just an enormous amount of work, and it's just really impressive.'

This year's theme is 'The Power of Public Spaces,' which focuses on creating parks or revitalizing historic aspects of a city, Sorensen said.

Each team must present their idea through a virtual city design, a project plan, a 1,500-word essay, a scale model and a presentation.

The teams will present their finished scale models and presentations to the judges on Saturday in the middle school's north gym. Sorensen said the students' virtual models and essays already have been scored.

Five finalist teams are to be announced at 1 p.m. and the final award ceremony takes place at 4:30 p.m.

The first place team receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the Future City Competition National Finals Feb. 18-22 in Washington, D.C.

This year's judges are:

— Nan Mattai, senior vice president of engineering and technology at Rockwell Collins.

— Scott Schulte, Z102.9 radio personality.

— Charles Connerly, urban and regional planning director and University of Iowa professor.

— Mike Davies, 2016 Iowa Regional Alumnus of the Year recipient and an Iowa State University senior majoring in math and computer engineering.

— Justin Roberts, KGAN CBS 2 weather anchor and WMT radio personality.

— Keri Hornbuckle, civil and environmental engineering professor at University of Iowa.

The program is meant to expose students to engineering design process, in an 'engaging way to build students' 21st century skills,' according to Future City's website.

Skills participating students learn include public speaking, problem solving and applying math and science to real-world issues.

'They're learning so much that they don't always get in school,' Sorensen said.

A full schedule of events happening Saturday can be found at futurecityiowa.org.

IF YOU GO

What: Future City Iowa regional competition

When: Saturday. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the final award ceremony takes place at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Prairie Point Middle School, 8015 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids.

Winner: The first place team earns a spot — as well as an all-expenses-paid trip — to the Future City national finals Feb. 18-22 in Washington, D.C.

Schedule: A full schedule of the day's events can be found at Future City Iowa's website at futurecityiowa.org.

l Comments: (319) 368-8536; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com