Students Compete for Top Honors At Michigan Future Cities Regionals

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 15 -- Students from the more than 45 schools participating in the Michigan Regional Future City Competition have finished the first phase of the contest and are putting the final touches on the second phase leading to the final judging January 23, 2002 in Dearborn. The Michigan Regional Competition is made possible by a grant from the Ford Motor Company. ESD, The Engineering Society, is the managing partner for the Michigan competition.

All participating students in the Michigan competition will display models of their cities. The winning team will compete against first place teams from 30 other regional competitions at the 10th Annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition to be held in Washington, D.C. this February.

The Future City Competition provides students in middle and junior high schools with a way to learn about engineering and its career paths. Future City is one of ESD's continuing efforts to make math and science a part of students' everyday lives by promoting technical literacy and engineering through a hands-on, real world application.

In the first phase, the team develops the basic design, layout and scope of the proposed city. The second phase is a written competition. This year's essay is on energy and power technology. Scores from the first and second phase judging are part of the judging process on January 23.

Future City was designed to promote technological literacy and engineering to seventh- and eighth- grade students. This is a team-based program consisting of students, a teacher, and a practicing engineer -- a volunteer mentor. Students develop their problem solving skills, as well as their ability to work as a team. Each team learns how to conduct research, develop presentation skills, and how an engineer turns ideas into reality. Engineering mentors work with student teams as they design and build their city. The team members apply various math and scientific principles to address practical problems and increase their awareness of community related issues.

ESD develops programs for students from elementary school through the university level that address this nation's challenge in math, science and engineering education.

Founded in 1895 as the Association of Graduate Engineers of the University of Michigan, ESD, The Engineering Society has evolved into the nation's largest multi-disciplinary engineering and scientific society of its kind. ESD's programs and services are dedicated to the enhancement of professional development, the advancement of technology and the promotion of the engineering and scientific professions, and the development of this country's future technical workforce.

Since 1949, Ford Motor Company has been committed to improving the quality of life for those who live and work in the communities where the company does business. The company supports not-for-profit organizations in five priority areas: education, environment, health and welfare, civic affairs and public policy, and arts and humanities.

Additional sponsors for the 2002 Michigan Regional Future City Competition are DTE Energy Foundation, the ESD Foundation and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).