Future City Middle School

2025-2026 Season

Join us for an authentic project that transforms middle school students’ understanding of engineering and strengthens their teamwork, problem-solving, and project management skills.

Interested in Future City High School? Sign up here

How would you like to register?

As a mentor

Pass along your professional STEM
experience and knowledge

As a judge

Be amazed at students’
innovative solutions

As a volunteer

We can’t do it without
our volunteers

Want to learn more about each role?

*If you choose to participate as a mentor you are not eligible to be a judge.

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Have Questions? Contact your Regional Coordinator.

Future City Roles

Educators

Educators are the adult facilitators who guide middle school team members through Future City, introducing concepts like city design and the engineering design process. The work is entirely student-led, but the educator keeps the team on track, uploads deliverables, and offers feedback and guidance. Educators are often classroom teachers, after school program leaders, or homeschool educators.

Mentors

Mentors work alongside the team educator and act as a coach and role model. They provide guidance, connections between academic concepts and real-life, and technical assistance to the middle school team members. Mentors work with the team regularly throughout the competition season, but do not need to be present at every team meeting. Mentors typically are engineers, technicians, urban planners, architects, graduate students, or work in a related field.

Judges

Judges score team deliverables, provide feedback, and help determine the overall winners. Their interactions with our young participants, whether written, virtual, or live, leave a lasting impact. We provide scoring rubrics and trainings (written and video) to guide judging decisions.

Volunteers

In addition to STEM professionals who act as mentors and judges, Future City depends on hundreds of volunteers who are willing to lend a hand at the Regional Competitions. Volunteers may be asked to help out at the registration table, set-up lunch, distribute medals, or even direct traffic. Check with your local Regional Coordinator to find out what opportunities are available in your area.