PMI sponsors award as part of National Engineers Week Future City^TM Competition

Schools across the United States have registered to participate in the 2007 National Engineers Week Future City^TM Competition. Now in its 15th year, Future City invites teams of 7th and 8th graders, guided by a teacher and assisted by a volunteer engineer mentor, to design and build a city of tomorrow.  Teams must also research and write an essay on a social need.

The competition encourages interest in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on applications. Students build skills in teamwork, problem solving, time management, public speaking and writing. This year's challenge includes development of an energy plan for a future city that uses fuel cell technology.

Every year we challenge middle school students with a task that would leave most adults shaking their heads, says Future City National Director Carol Rieg. But that level of difficulty only seems to invigorate these kids.

PMI will sponsor an award for the Best Future City Project Plan. To compete for the award, teams must develop a clear scope statement of their project, a list of deliverables, a project budget and a schedule or timeline. Special consideration will be extended to teams that address risks they may encounter while completing their project, and how they handled those risks, if any arose.

Future City competitions will occur in January in 38 regions across the United States. Regional first place teams will travel to Washington, D.C., all expenses paid, to participate in the national finals on 19-21 February during Engineers Week. The grand prize is a trip to the Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. More than 30,000 students from 1,100 middle schools are expected to participate.