Future City Club 2017 / 2018
We meet Wednesdays after school until 3:15
Research Page for Age Friendly City
What is Future City Club?
Future City Club is an after school club that meets once a week, from September through January, where kids can learn about engineering.
Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide issue. This year’s topic is the Age Friendly City.
Student teams present their solutions with a virtual city design, using SimCity software; a 1,500-word essay; a scale model; a project plan, and a presentation to judges at the Regional Competition in Boston in January.
How can parents help?
You can help by telling your child to be on the lookout for interesting objects out of the recycling bin or items that might make their way to the trash. Toys with lost or broken pieces and motors that can be used in the model are great and so are scraps of lumber. Let your imagination be your guide.
Know someone who is an engineer, an engineering student, or someone who knows a lot about agriculture, transportation, energy use, waste disposal, recycling? Let your child talk to them and ask them questions. Better yet, ask if they will be a guest speaker at a Future City Club meeting. We could also use an Engineer Mentor - someone who is willing and able to attend meetings fairly regularly.
Donating hot glue, hot glue guns, tempura paint (green and white especially) and clay (Crayola Model Magic or modeling clay) is also a big help.
Clean Up Policy and behavior: Students are responsible for cleaning their work area and putting away tools, materials, and projects. Students must be respectful of other student’s work and materials, and are expected to participate regularly in our Thursday meetings
What is the Future City Competition? There is a New England Regional competition in Boston in January 2018. Any team that builds a model city, creates a SimCity on the computer, completes the written Essay and City Narrative and prepares a presentation, may compete in regionals. The students present their cities to panels of professional engineers. It is really an excellent opportunity for kids who are willing to work hard and put in extra time. Parents are responsible for travel to and from the competition.
Students who compete learn a lot, but students do not have to compete in order to enjoy the club.
Who should attend the competition? All club members (and their families) are encouraged to attend the Future City New England Competition.
______________________________________________________________
More about the 2017/2018 Theme: The Age Friendly City
26th Annual International Competition
Asks Middle School Students to Envision
An Urban Environment That Keeps Growing Community of
Older Adults Active and Independent
WASHINGTON DC, 9/6/17 – Long-held assumptions about aging are being radically redefined. Older adults are living longer, staying in the workforce longer and living independently for longer than ever. This population is also growing and altering society’s overall demographics. By 2050, older adults will outnumber children under the age of 14.
In anticipation of this new reality, the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a plan to help cities respond to the particular needs of older adults. The organization’s approach recognizes that as people age, they inevitably experience physical and cognitive change and risk isolation and loneliness. Planning for an older demographic means conceptualizing accessible and safe transportation options, barrier-free access to buildings and infrastructure, appropriate social welfare programs and open access to health care support and services.
With this pressing societal issue top of mind, the award-winning Future City Competition, now in its 26th year, announces its theme for 2017-18. This year, Future City is asking middle school students to respond to the issue ofThe Age-Friendly City and address the challenges in designing innovative solutions that can serve an urban area’s older population. Students are tasked with identifying age-related issues in their city and engineering innovative solutions that enable seniors to remain active and independent.
________________________________________________________________
Information from last previous years:
Future City Parent Letter in regards to competition
Future City Boston Event Info from last year (and Special Awards)
Future City 2016/2017 Club Meeting Info
Competition Event Date & Time:
It will take place on a Saturday in January 2018 in Boston (date and time TBA)
Competition Schedule (previous year)
8:00am – 8:50am Judges Orientation (Room A)
9:00am – 12:30pm Preliminary Judging Rounds for Presentations
(Rooms A, B, C, D, E)
12:30pm – 1:30pm Break for Lunch (Food Court)
1:30pm – 2:30pm Final Judging Round (Large Conference Room)
2:30pm – 3:00pm Announcement of Special Awards and New England
Regional Winner (Large Conference Room)
Location: MassDOT Headquarters, 2nd floor 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA on Saturday, January 16, 2016. Google Map
Parking Options:
Boston Common Garage ($18.00)
Motor Mart Garage ($22.00)
There is also limited parking right underneath the MassDOT building - super convenient if you get there early!
Metered Parking Spaces
Event Info for Parents
All Future City Club members, their families and friends are welcome to attend.
Some of my teams will choose to present their city models at the competition, and others will not. All teams that present are eligible for special awards. Kids can learn a lot about Future City and engineering by attending the competition whether or not they are presenting. I do encourage any team with a model to present their work because kids benefit greatly from the experience.
Kids who attend usually get a t-shirt and a goodie bag. There are also usually snacks available for free. I don’t believe lunch will be provided this year, but there is a food court with food for sale, and kids can bring their own lunch. I will know more of these details as the event approaches.
Parents are responsible for transportation to and from the competition for both their children and their models, but often families carpool.
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Suzanne Collins
STEAM Teacher
Future City Club Advisor
Birchland Park Middle School
[email protected]
Email me with questions. I'll be checking my email regularly the day before and the morning of the event.
_____________________________________________________________________________
New England Region, Future City, Event Page (with photos from 2015/2016):
http://futurecity.org/event/big-day-our-regional-finals
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 31, 2015 New England Regional Competition in Boston Info
Click here for 2014/2015 meeting notes
Click here for 2013/2014 meeting notes
Click here for 2012/2013 meeting notes
Research Page for Age Friendly City
What is Future City Club?
Future City Club is an after school club that meets once a week, from September through January, where kids can learn about engineering.
Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide issue. This year’s topic is the Age Friendly City.
Student teams present their solutions with a virtual city design, using SimCity software; a 1,500-word essay; a scale model; a project plan, and a presentation to judges at the Regional Competition in Boston in January.
How can parents help?
You can help by telling your child to be on the lookout for interesting objects out of the recycling bin or items that might make their way to the trash. Toys with lost or broken pieces and motors that can be used in the model are great and so are scraps of lumber. Let your imagination be your guide.
Know someone who is an engineer, an engineering student, or someone who knows a lot about agriculture, transportation, energy use, waste disposal, recycling? Let your child talk to them and ask them questions. Better yet, ask if they will be a guest speaker at a Future City Club meeting. We could also use an Engineer Mentor - someone who is willing and able to attend meetings fairly regularly.
Donating hot glue, hot glue guns, tempura paint (green and white especially) and clay (Crayola Model Magic or modeling clay) is also a big help.
Clean Up Policy and behavior: Students are responsible for cleaning their work area and putting away tools, materials, and projects. Students must be respectful of other student’s work and materials, and are expected to participate regularly in our Thursday meetings
What is the Future City Competition? There is a New England Regional competition in Boston in January 2018. Any team that builds a model city, creates a SimCity on the computer, completes the written Essay and City Narrative and prepares a presentation, may compete in regionals. The students present their cities to panels of professional engineers. It is really an excellent opportunity for kids who are willing to work hard and put in extra time. Parents are responsible for travel to and from the competition.
Students who compete learn a lot, but students do not have to compete in order to enjoy the club.
Who should attend the competition? All club members (and their families) are encouraged to attend the Future City New England Competition.
______________________________________________________________
More about the 2017/2018 Theme: The Age Friendly City
26th Annual International Competition
Asks Middle School Students to Envision
An Urban Environment That Keeps Growing Community of
Older Adults Active and Independent
WASHINGTON DC, 9/6/17 – Long-held assumptions about aging are being radically redefined. Older adults are living longer, staying in the workforce longer and living independently for longer than ever. This population is also growing and altering society’s overall demographics. By 2050, older adults will outnumber children under the age of 14.
In anticipation of this new reality, the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a plan to help cities respond to the particular needs of older adults. The organization’s approach recognizes that as people age, they inevitably experience physical and cognitive change and risk isolation and loneliness. Planning for an older demographic means conceptualizing accessible and safe transportation options, barrier-free access to buildings and infrastructure, appropriate social welfare programs and open access to health care support and services.
With this pressing societal issue top of mind, the award-winning Future City Competition, now in its 26th year, announces its theme for 2017-18. This year, Future City is asking middle school students to respond to the issue ofThe Age-Friendly City and address the challenges in designing innovative solutions that can serve an urban area’s older population. Students are tasked with identifying age-related issues in their city and engineering innovative solutions that enable seniors to remain active and independent.
________________________________________________________________
Information from last previous years:
Future City Parent Letter in regards to competition
Future City Boston Event Info from last year (and Special Awards)
Future City 2016/2017 Club Meeting Info
Competition Event Date & Time:
It will take place on a Saturday in January 2018 in Boston (date and time TBA)
Competition Schedule (previous year)
8:00am – 8:50am Judges Orientation (Room A)
9:00am – 12:30pm Preliminary Judging Rounds for Presentations
(Rooms A, B, C, D, E)
12:30pm – 1:30pm Break for Lunch (Food Court)
1:30pm – 2:30pm Final Judging Round (Large Conference Room)
2:30pm – 3:00pm Announcement of Special Awards and New England
Regional Winner (Large Conference Room)
Location: MassDOT Headquarters, 2nd floor 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA on Saturday, January 16, 2016. Google Map
Parking Options:
Boston Common Garage ($18.00)
Motor Mart Garage ($22.00)
There is also limited parking right underneath the MassDOT building - super convenient if you get there early!
Metered Parking Spaces
Event Info for Parents
All Future City Club members, their families and friends are welcome to attend.
Some of my teams will choose to present their city models at the competition, and others will not. All teams that present are eligible for special awards. Kids can learn a lot about Future City and engineering by attending the competition whether or not they are presenting. I do encourage any team with a model to present their work because kids benefit greatly from the experience.
Kids who attend usually get a t-shirt and a goodie bag. There are also usually snacks available for free. I don’t believe lunch will be provided this year, but there is a food court with food for sale, and kids can bring their own lunch. I will know more of these details as the event approaches.
Parents are responsible for transportation to and from the competition for both their children and their models, but often families carpool.
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Suzanne Collins
STEAM Teacher
Future City Club Advisor
Birchland Park Middle School
[email protected]
Email me with questions. I'll be checking my email regularly the day before and the morning of the event.
_____________________________________________________________________________
New England Region, Future City, Event Page (with photos from 2015/2016):
http://futurecity.org/event/big-day-our-regional-finals
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
January 31, 2015 New England Regional Competition in Boston Info
Click here for 2014/2015 meeting notes
Click here for 2013/2014 meeting notes
Click here for 2012/2013 meeting notes