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Middle School Students Design City Of The Future For ESD Competition

NOVI -- After a fierce day of competition featuring more than 600 students and 25 schools from throughout the State of Michigan, last year's champions, the team from St. John Lutheran School in Rochester, grabbed first place to win this year's Best Future City. St. John also won first place in 2009.

The team, which created "Mahina Mana," a futuristic city in Hawaii, will go on to compete in the National Future City Competition in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 19-25. The winner of the national competition will receive a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

In addition to St. John School, four other schools also walked out the winners. In fifth place was Northville Christian School in Northville; fourth place was St. Joseph School in Lake Orion; third place went to Dearborn Heights Montessori Center; and second place went to the McArthur K-8 University Academy in Southfield.

All used the latest in technologies -- advanced life sciences, solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, and biopower -- in their designs.

Most all the schools who participated in this year's competition walked away with special awards sponsored by 35 Michigan companies. For a complete list of the Special Award winners, please visit www.esd.org.

WWJ Newsradio 950 Technology Editor Matt Roush served as master of ceremonies for the awards presentation.

For photos of all the participating schools, please call Della Cassia at 248-353-0735, ext. 112.   Founded in 1895, ESD is a multi-disciplinary society uniting engineering, scientific and allied professions to enhance professional development and foster excitement in math and science to produce our next generation of leaders.

In its 17th year, the Michigan Regional Future City Competition has given 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from throughout Michigan and the City of Detroit the rare opportunity to engage in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-related activity and apply it to real world problems. Students are challenged to create and build a city 150 years into the future using engineering principles. This year, ESD will introduce a new competition, Engineering SMArT Detroit that will build upon what the students learn in middle school to apply in high school, in the hopes that they will be interested in pursuing STEM-related careers in the future.

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