Welcome to Capital Region Future City Competition!
The competition comprises of teams of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who develop a futuristic city based on the theme of the year. Students will design a 100% electrically powered city with energy generated from sources that keep your citizens and the environment healthy and safe. These teams write an essay, create a model to scale, provide a project plan, and present to judges on their futuristic city at this event.
The amazing impact this event has on our local community, schools, and students is incomprehensible. This competition goes beyond just a one-day competition by teaching students how to apply math and science to real world problems.
We’re in person!
Future City is returning to an in-person competition format in 2024–2025. If another Covid outbreak threatens these plans, Future City will work with your Regional Coordinator and post updated information in your educator dashboard.
Important Competition downloads:
2024-25 Future City Handbook »
2024-25 FCC NY-Albany Calendar »
2024-25 FCC NY-Albany Rules Handout »
City Brainstorming and Team Management Resources:
Misc Forms:
Program Details
Future City Competition is an educational program for middle school students to explore their creative and innovative imaginations to design a city of the future. Students will learn how to apply math, science, engineering and technology to develop a realistic future community and compete for regional prizes, including a trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Competition.
The Team
Consists of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in math, science and engineering. There is a limit to how many students may work on the project. This year we will be implementing a maximum cap of 20 students per team, with a minimum of three students per team. At the regional competition in January, only three students will represent their team and present their city for judging. If there are more than 20 students interested in being part of a team, consider creating multiple smaller sized teams. However, be aware that each registered school/organization is limited to sending a maximum of three teams to compete in the regional competition. Each team of students will work with their teacher and engineer mentor to complete all phases of the program while engineering their version of a “future city.”
Students will:
- Create a Project Plan, which mimics the engineering design process.
- Build a physical 3D model of their city using creative materials such as recycled goods.
- Demonstrate their writing skills through an essay that:
- answers the assigned engineering design problem,
- describes major features and highlights found in the team’s future city,
- Enhance communication skills though a team presentation.
The Teacher
An energetic coach to oversee activities. The teacher will participate as a facilitator and advisor to the team members.
The Engineer Mentor
The mentor serves as an advisor to the students. The mentor’s advice can be in the form of technical help as to how science and engineering can be applied to the city, how to build cities, and how to make technical presentations. The mentor will also be able to teach the students about what different types of engineers do and how the profession impacts society. The mentor does not need to be an engineer but someone who who works in the technical field and is willing to show students how to connect Science, Technology, Engineering and Math concepts to reality and futuristic designs.
Competition Day
Regional Competition Date: January 18th, 2025
Shaker High School
445 Watervliet Shaker Rd, Latham, NY 12110
Become a Volunteer
We’re always recruiting volunteers to work with the Capital District Region Future City Competition. There are various ways you can get involved as described below.
Engineer Mentors work with the student team each week to design and build their city of the future. Mentors are able to share their engineering and technology experience with the students and encourage their creativity in exploring futurist technology advances. Volunteer mentors spend approximately 2-3 hours with the students each week from September through mid-January, at a time determined by the teacher and engineer. Mentor Registration – Future City® Competition
Competition Judges evaluate the team entries for each phase of the program: Project Plan, Essay, 3-D Model, Presentation and Live Q&A. The judging process starts in November. Judges should plan to attend scheduled training sessions and invest approximately 6 hours in judging team entries prior to the competition.
We currently have the following needs for judges:
- 60 Presentation & Model Judges (January 18 7:30am – 12pm) – Judge Registration – Future City® Competition
- 2 Special Award Judges (January 18 7:30am – 12pm) – email fcc.albany.judge@outlook.com
- 10 Finals Judges (January 18 12pm – 3pm) – email fcc.albany.judge@outlook.com
- 2 National Judges (Virtual in Mid-February for Model, Presentation, and/or Essay) – email fcc.albany.judge@outlook.com
Competition Day Volunteers sign up for timeslots for the Competition Day in January/February. Volunteers are assigned activities and tasks for their timeslot prior. Each year, approximately 60 volunteers are recruited for Competition Day. Volunteer Sign Up
Committee Volunteers work throughout the year from to organize, plan and fundraise for the program. The committee works through monthly meetings and delegation of planning efforts. Our committee always welcomes new members and new talents. Committee Volunteer Sign Up
Current Sponsors
2024-2025 Albany Future City Fundraising Brochure
For information about fundraising, reach out to Wayne Bonesteel at wbonesteel@azardzn.com.
Thank you to one of our platinum sponsors, Capital District Engineers Week! For more information, see the following links:
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Resources
For Judges
Below you will find the resources needed for judging this year.
We’re in a new venue this year!! The competition will be held on January 18, 2025 at Shaker High School.
We will continue to update this page as Competition Day (January 18, 2025) get closer. If at any time you have questions, please contact your Judge Coordinators (Amanda Kinley and Heather Wyld) at fcc.albany.judge@outlook.com.
To sign up to be a Judge for 2024-2025:
Judge Registration – Future City® Competition
To login:
Click the “Log In” link at the top of this page or go to https://futurecity.org/future-city-login/
2024-2025 Competition 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.
Essay Judging
2024-2025-City-Essay-Rubric.pdf
2025CityEssayJudgingTutorial.pdf
Essay Judge – Special Award Evaluation Form: https://forms.gle/qHJfjPBiyDm1zqSaA
Materials will be provided for Special Awards and Competition Day Judging.
Scholarship for Future City Alums
The Howard E. Reese Alumni of the Year Scholarship is named after a beloved member of the Future City-Albany program. Howard was actively involved with Future City since its regional beginnings in 2000, and he remained actively involved in planning the logistics of competition day for the next 20 years. Howard was an engineer himself, working as a civil engineer for the New York State Thruway Authority for nearly 38 years, retiring in 2007. We have named our scholarship for Howard to honor his longtime support of the program and his dedication to inspiring middle school children in dreaming up brighter futures.
NOTE TO APPLICANT:
The Future City Competition-Albany, NY Alumnus of the Year Scholarship is available to all graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate college students and has a total value of $1,000.
To be eligible for the Alumnus of the Year Scholarship you must be an alumnus of the Future City Competition-Albany, NY program and plan to attend/currently enrolled in an accredited science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) program.
To qualify for this scholarship, you must show how your involvement in the Future City Competition encouraged you to pursue an education and career in science, technology, engineering, or math.
HOW TO APPLY:
- Assemble the application in the following order.
- Student Scholarship Application Form (please type responses, if possible)
- Personal Statement (maximum 500 words)
- Teacher/Mentor Recommendation Statement (maximum 250 words)
- One copy of High School Transcript and one copy of current College Transcript (if applicable)
The application shall be emailed no later than Friday, November 15, 2024.
E-mail the above items to:
Addyson Lyons, Regional Coordinator, Future City Competition-Albany, NY: fcc.albany@gmail.com
Applications will be reviewed by the committee and an award recipient will be notified by Thursday, December 19, 2024. Committee decisions are final.
The 2024-2025 Alumni of the Year Award will be presented at the Capital District Future City Awards Ceremony on January 18, 2025. Although desired, it is not an application requirement for the award recipient to be present at the Competition to receive the award.
Should you have any questions during the application process, please contact: fcc.albany@gmail.com.
Future City Resources Library
All registered users have access to a full library of Future City Resources on the Competition Dashboard.
Contact Us
Addyson Lyons
Regional Coordinator
fcc.albany@gmail.com
Anita Stabrowski
Educator and Mentor Coordinator
fcc.albany.schools@gmail.com
Amanda Kinley & Heather Wyld
Judge Coordinators
fcc.albany.judge@outlook.com
Morgan Moldoff & Julie Thompson
Volunteer Coordinators
fcc.albany.volunteer@gmail.com
Meet Our Committee!
Regional Coordinator
Addyson Lyons, PE, AECOM
School & Mentor Coordinator
Anita Stabrowski
Logistics Committee
Morgan Moldoff, PE, Saratoga Railroad Engineering
Julie Thompson, Philips
Jennifer Smith, Plug Power
Oliver Boomhower, GE Global Research
Fundraising Coordinator
Wayne Bonesteel, PE, Azar Design Co
Judging Coordinators
Amanda Kinley, PE, GPI
Heather Wyld, PE, CHA Consulting, Inc.
Finance Coordinator
Michelle Hartmann-Grippin, Colliers Engineering & Design
Sponsor and Awards Coordinator
Tim Jablonski, JMT of New York, Inc.
Publicity and Publications Coordinators
Megan Cianfarini, NYSTEC
Heather Pace, NKB
Scott Cook, Region 1 Public Information Officer, NYSDOT
Milan Brown, Intern, Shenendehowa High School