FMS students place second in national Future City competition

A city of the future – “Mohala” – engineered by students from Farnsworth Middle School recently placed second in the 2008 National Engineers Week Future City Competition. Students Kathryn Liotta, Hannah Liu, Brien Miceli, Anya Joynt, and Adison Vanina teamed up with FMS enrichment teacher Deborah Escobar and volunteer engineer mentor James Liotta, from Verizon, to prepare for the competition. The "Mohala" team earned a trip to Nationals after winning the Capital District competition held on January 19 at Hudson Valley Community Center in Troy.

Teams from 36 middle schools nationwide, all winners of regional competitions held in January, participated in the Future City National Finals, February 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Placing just ahead of Farnsworth was the city “RA” – developed by students from Heritage Middle School in Westerville, Ohio. Our Lady Help of Christians School in Abington, Pennsylvania, from the Philadelphia regional competition took third place honors for their Future City, “Port Tranquility.”

In the words of the "Mohala" team’s Future City abstract:

Mohala began as a suburb of Honolulu in 2040. It is a planned city with a comprehensive growth strategy. Residential, commercial, and industrial zones are efficiently located. Multi-zoned high-rises minimize travel congestion by allowing people to live, work, shop, and play within single buildings. Potable water is supplied by offshore desalination plants. Waste management needs are met through extensive recycling programs. Efficient transportation options, including all-electric maglev trains and Automated Electric Vehicles (AEV), are integrated into the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Clean renewable energy sources (wind, water, and sun) meet all Mohala’s energy needs. Wind farms harness the offshore trade winds. Water turbines utilize the flowing Blue River. Solar film imbedded into our roadways and buildings capture the energy of the sun. Mohala generates more energy than it consumes. Excess energy is sold to neighboring communities, helping to keep taxes low.

The City Center Government and Services Complex manages all distributed public services such as government, schools, libraries, hospitals, parks, commerce, police, and fire. The complex also houses the Universal Laser Network (ULN), an advanced communication system that is fully integrated into the city’s infrastructure. The ULN manages all citywide voice and data communications using laser technology, remote sensors, and orbiting satellites. The ULN transmits and receives data from the citywide Real-time Nanosensor Network (RNN) which continuously monitors and actuates responses to conditions throughout the city.

Whether living here or visiting here, Mohala is a modern, safe, family oriented city where new experiences, breathtaking views, and friendly faces await you. Mohala truly is a place “to gather and bloom”.

Future City at FMS is presented through the school’s enrichment program, under the direction of teacher Deborah Escobar. The competition focuses attention on the extraordinary potential of 12-14 year old girls and boys to become America’s next great scientists, inventors, and engineers. The program requires students to use their creativity, ingenuity, and above all, their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math to perform five specific projects.

For more information on the Future City competition, please visit www.futurecity.org.