The Future City Competition (FCC) is a project-based learning experience where students in grades 6-8 imagine, research, design, and build cities at least 100 years in the future. Schools or recognized youth organizations can form teams and have the option to compete in the state competition. Students spend approximately five months (September-January) completing the following deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay; a scale model of their city built from recycled materials; a four-part project plan; a 7-minute team presentation; and a Q&A session with judges (professional engineers who volunteer their time). The Future City Competition aligns with Minnesota Academic Standards in Science, Math, Social Studies, and English Language Arts.
2024 Minnesota Future City Competition Winners
Justice Page Middle School
Acacia Ridge
Scott Highlands Middle School
Nina Urqukuna
Mounds Park Academy
Pangaea
Valley Middle School of STEM
The Four Leaf
Roseville Area Middle School
Lima
In February 2024, team Acacia Ridge from Justice Page Middle School represented Minnesota at the National Future City Competition in Washington, DC. The team brought home the #AQOLFA Award: Advancing Quality of Life for All!
Informational Zoom Sessions
Are you curious about the Minnesota Future City Competition? Want to learn what makes this national competition such a great experience for students? Contact MN Future City Coordinator, Colleen Feller, to schedule an informational Zoom session.
Registration
Registration for the 2024-2025 Future City Competition will open in late spring.
2024-2025 Theme: Above the Current
Design a floating city and provide two innovative examples of how your floating city works and keeps its citizens healthy and safe. Future City students will research new cutting-edge technology and clean energy to house people comfortably and provide everything they need in a city on the water.
Project Deadlines:
| October 31, 2023 | Registration closes |
| November 10, 2023 | Project Plan Part #1 & #2 due |
| December 15, 2023 | City Essay and Project Plan #3 due |
| December 22, 2023 | Schools confirm number of teams and names of students for the MN Regional Competition |
| January 8, 2024 | Special Award selections due |
| January 17, 2024 | Project Plan #4 due |
| January 20, 2024 | City Model and Presentation due |
| January 20, 2024 | MN Regional Competition at Dakota County Technical College |
| February 17-20, 2024 | Future City Competition Nationals in Washington, D.C. |
Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors for their incredible support! If you would like to learn more about making a financial contribution to the Minnesota Future City Competition, please contact Colleen Feller at 612-638-1511.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Association of Facilities Engineering
American Water Works Association
City Engineers Association of Minnesota
HDR, Inc.
Minnesota Department of Health
WSB
Bronze Sponsors
Alliant Engineering, Inc. • American Engineering Testing • Barr Engineering • Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Center for Transportation Studies, U of MN • Design-Build Institute of America – Upper Midwest Region
Erickson Engineering • GRAEF • Great River Energy • HGA • HNTB • Kimley-Horn • Kurita America •
MN Association of County Surveyors • MN Federation of Engineering, Science, and Technology Societies
MN Society of Professional Engineers • MN Surveyors and Engineers Society
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying • Project Management Institute Educational Foundation
Society of American Military Engineers • SRF Consulting Group, Inc. • Stantec • Wheeler Lumber
2024 Minnesota Future City Competition Special Awards
Winning teams receive an award plaque for their school. Each student on the team receives a gift bag with small prizes and a certificate.
| Special Award | Sponsor | Winning Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Innovative City Setting | 3M | Rosemount MS I.S.S. Thoth |
| Best Infrastructure System | ASCE MN Section | Justice Page MS Isvik |
| Engineering Excellence | MFESTS | Roseville MS Lima |
| Safe Drinking Water | MN Dept. of Health / AWWA | Black Hawk MS Llumin |
| Best Transportation System | SRF Consulting Group | Scott Highlands MS Niohöggr |
| Most Practical Design | MnSPE | Mahtomedi MS Superior City |
| Best Industrial / Commercial Layout | AFE – Twin Cities | Friendly Hills MS New Delos |
| Most Innovative Power System | Emerson | Justice Page MS Acacia Ridge |
| Readiness for Natural and Humanmade Disasters | SAME – Mpls-St. Paul | Andersen United MS Clam Chowder |
| Best Rail Infrastructure | HDR, Inc. | New Richmond MS Wanvil |
| Most Environmentally Friendly Power Source | EATON | Justice Page MS Kai Kohola |
| Best Land Surveying Practices | NCEES | Scott Highlands MS Nina Urqukuna |
| Most Innovative Constructability | DBIA-UMR | Mounds Park Academy Pangaea |
| Best Incorporation of Cultural and Historical Resources Into a City | MSES | Scott Highlands MS Niohöggr |
| Innovative Spark: Electrifying Urban Mobility | HNTB | Mounds Park Academy Vannbasert |
| Best Visualization of a Smart, Sustainable City | ASCE National | Valley MS of STEM The Four Leaf |
| Outstanding First-Year Participant | MN FCC Steering Committee | Valley View MS Oakstone |
| Outstanding Future City Project Plan | PMIEF | Valley View MS Oakstone |
| Outstanding Essay | Minnesota Transportation Conference & Expo | Mounds Park Academy La Ville De Vie |
| Outstanding City Model | CEAM | Scott Highlands MS Nina Urqukuna |
| Outstanding Team Presentation | CenterPoint Energy | Mounds Park Academy Pangaea |
| People’s Choice Award | MN FCC Steering Committee | Justice Page MS Kai Kohola |
At the Future City Competition, students learn…
How to use engineering to solve real-world problems.
The skills needed for effective teamwork.
The importance of strong writing, public speaking, and creativity.
Questions?
Want to learn more about the Future City Competition and how your students can participate? Visit the Minnesota Regional page or contact Colleen Feller at 612-638-1511.
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Arden Hills, MN 55112
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SparkPath is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that presents its programs in collaboration with BrightWorks, a Minnesota Service Cooperative. BrightWorks member districts/schools save 30-50% on SparkPath registration fees. For more information, visit www.brightworksmn.org.
