Capital District, NY December 29, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Capital District Region Middle Schoolers Compete in Future City Regional Finals Saturday, January 13, for a Chance to Win a Grand Prize in Washington, D.C. This Year s Theme is: The Age Friendly City Albany, New York Long-held assumptions about aging are being radically redefined. Older adults are living longer, staying in the workplace longer, and living independently for longer than ever. The population is also growing and altering society s overall demographics. By 2050, older adults will outnumber children under the age of 14. The award-winning Future City Competition, now in its 26 th year, is asking middle school students to respond to the issue of The Age-Friendly City by designing innovative solutions that can serve an urban area s older population. Students are tasked with identifying age-related issues in their city and to engineer a framework that enables seniors to remain active, independent, and engaged. The Capital District competition will be held on Saturday, January 13 th at The Armory at Sage College in Albany. In the Capital District region, there are 28 schools and organizations with a total of 30 teams competing in the Future City Regional Finals. There are approximately 400 local students participating in the competition this year. Our regional students join more than 40,000 middle school students from 1,350 schools in 40 regions around the country, all of whom are engaged in similar competitions. First place winners from each qualifying regional competition receive a trip to the Future City Competition Finals in Washington, D.C., February 17-21, 2018, during Engineers Week. Teams/schools competing in this year s competition include: Name of School County Acadia Middle School Shenendehowa Central Saratoga Ballston Spa Middle School Ballston Spa Central Saratoga Blessed Sacrament School Blessed Sacrament School Albany Broadalbin-Perth Middle School Broadalbin-Perth Central Fulton 1 P age
Coxsackie-Athens Middle School Coxsackie-Athens Central Greene Farnsworth Middle School Guilderland Central Albany Flood Brook School Flood Brook Union School Southern Vermont Gowana Middle School Shenendehowa Central Saratoga Hackett Middle School Albany Public Schools Albany Koda Middle School Shenendehowa Central Saratoga La Salle School La Salle School Albany Maple Avenue Middle School Saratoga Springs City Saratoga Mater Christi School Mater Christi School Albany New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School New Lebanon Central Columbia North Colonie Central Learning Enrichment Program Richard H. O Rourke Middle School RPI STEP North Colonie Central Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Pre- College Program Albany Saratoga Rensselaer Schoharie Mohawk Initiative for Schoharie Mohawk Initiative for Science Schoharie Science Schalmont Middle School Schalmont Central Schenectady St. Thomas the Apostle School St. Thomas the Apostle School Albany Susan Odell Taylor School Susan Odell Taylor School Troy Syracuse City Schools NSBE Jr. Syracuse City Onondaga Chapter Voorheeseville Public Library Voorheeseville Public Library Albany There were a total of 20 schools and 27 teams, with a total of 375 local students, competing in the regional finals at Proctors Theater in Schenectady this past January. The New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School won the 2016-17 Regional Capital District Future City Competition and represented our area at the national competition in Washington D.C. Other local finalists were: Richard H. O Rourke Middle School (2 nd place); Flood Brook School (3 rd place); Broadalbin-Perth Middle School (4 th place); and Academy of the Holy Names (5 th place). About DiscoverE DiscoverE is leading a growing volunteer movement that inspires and informs present and future generations to discover engineering. Our network of volunteers in the US and abroad is drawn from the DiscoverE coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government 2 P age
agencies. Together we meet a vital need: introducing students, parents, and educators to engineering, engaging them in hands-on engineering experiences and making science and math relevant. For more information, visit www.discovere.org. About Future City Competition DiscoverE s annual Future City Competition, for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, is held from September 2017 through February 2018. Major funding for the Finals comes from Bechtel Corporation, Bentley Systems, Shell Oil Company, and DiscoverE. AARP is sponsoring Future City this year, in recognition of the age-friendly challenge, and has been involved in regions across the country. This year Capital District Region celebrates participating in the program for 17 years! Visit the Capital District Future City website at: http://futurecity.org/new-york-albany. For more information, contact: Christine Kingery Public Relations Chair, Future City Competition Director of Marketing, JMT of New York, Inc. 19 British American Blvd. Latham, NY 12110 (518) 782-0882 ckingery@jmt.com Alyssa Tognetti Sayles & Winnikoff Communications 212-725-5200 x112 geena@sayleswinnikoff.com ###
Capital District, NY List of Teams Competing in the 2017-2018 Capital District Future City Competition ALBANY COUNTY Blessed Sacrament School Blessed Sacrament School Farnsworth Middle School Hackett Middle School La Salle School Mater Christi School North Colonie Central Learning Enrichment Program St. Thomas the Apostle School Voorheeseville Public Library Guilderland Central Albany Public Schools La Salle School Mater Christi School North Colonie Central Learning Enrichment Program St. Thomas the Apostle School Voorheeseville Public Library COLUMBIA COUNTY New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School FULTON COUNTY Broadalbin-Perth Middle School New Lebanon Central Broadalbin-Perth Central GREENE COUNTY Coxsackie-Athens Middle School RENSSELAER COUNTY RPI STEP Susan Odell Taylor School SARATOGA COUNTY Acadia Middle School Ballston Spa Middle School Gowana Middle School Koda Middle School Richard H. O Rourke Middle School Maple Avenue Middle School Coxsackie-Athens Central Comprised of students from all over the Capital District Susan Odell Taylor School Shenendehowa Central Ballston Spa Central Shenendehowa Central Shenendehowa Central Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central Saratoga Springs City
SCHOHARIE COUNTY Schoharie Mohawk Initiative for Science and Technology Comprised of students from all over the Capital District SCHENECTADY COUNTY Schalmont Middle School ONONDAGA COUNTY Syracuse City Schools NSBE Jr. Chapter Schalmont Central Syracuse City VERMONT Flood Brook School Flood Brook Union School
Capital District, NY MEDIA ALERT FUTURE CITY COMPETITION: 6 th, 7 th AND 8 th GRADERS ASKED TO DESIGN AGE-FRIENDLY SPACES The Age-Friendly City Capital Region Schools Compete in Regional Finals at the Armory at Sage College on Saturday, January 13 WHAT: WHEN: National Engineers Week Future City Competition a non-profit educational program. Middle school students representing 28 local schools and organizations have designed and built future cities in tabletop 3-D models. They present their cities to judges at the competition. This year s engineering theme The Age-Friendly City. The winning team receives an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., to compete against other regions at Future City National Finals, February 17-21, 2018 during Engineers Week. Saturday, January 13 th : 8:20 AM to 4:00 PM. Best time for media coverage: Preliminary judging: 9:20 AM-12:05 PM / Final judging: 1:05-2:10 PM Winner announced approximately 3:00 PM WHERE: The Armory at Sage College 130 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208 WHO: 6 th, 7 th & 8 th grade students work with a teacher and volunteer engineer mentor from September - January. Check back with the contact person, Christine Kingery, for a list of political dignitaries that are planning to attend. WHY: Future City students see engineering as a direct influence on their lives how math, science and technology are relevant to their world and make a hands-on connection between their education, the Capital District region, and their future. Excellent visuals and uplifting, positive story about STEM education at its most creative and exciting. Access to inspiring, optimistic local students with great interviews. One of the most successful nationwide informal education programs: This is the region s 17 th year participating in the competition, with over 400 local students participating. For this year s competition, the Capital District has approximately 28 schools participating with a total of 30 teams. 3D Future City models dazzling and colorful, constructed from recycled materials and built for less than $100. CONTACT: Saturday on site: Public Relations Chairperson: Christine Kingery 518-366-5759 Regional Coordinator: Diane Bertok 518-944-6448
CAPITAL DISTRICT FUTURE CITY COMPETITION We re designing tomorrow s future TODAY! Event Information January 13, 2018 The Armory The Sage Colleges Albany, NY Agenda 7:30 a.m. Arrival, Check-in and Model Unloading 8:20 a.m. Opening Ceremonies 9:20 a.m. Preliminary Judging 11:30 a.m. Lunch 12:55 p.m. Announcement of Finalists 1:05 p.m. Final Judging 2:40 p.m. Awards Ceremony Lunch is provided for all registered team members, including teachers and mentors. Guests can purchase tickets at the event for $5 each. Free beverages and snacks are available in the morning. Be sure to have your media waiver forms submitted to your teacher prior to attending competition as the local press covers this event. Family and friends are welcome and parking is free. For directions, go to: https://www.sage.edu/about/maps-directions/ Additional information will be available on the website: futurecity.org/new-york-albany 3:30 p.m. Closing Remarks
2017-2018 NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK FUTURE CITY COMPETITION: SCORING INFORMATION Teams of judges evaluate the computer city design, city model, the essay and city narrative, verbal presentation, and project plans. The judging categories are: 1. Project Plan Outline project goals, resources, constraints, and assumptions Make a schedule to complete each deliverable Conduct check-in sessions to monitor project progress Reflect on lessons learned to make your next projects easier 2. Virtual City Design using SimCity City Layout: convenience of shopping and workplace to residential areas; position of subways and roads; location of power plants and power lines Energy Efficiency: public transportation systems; number and type of power plants Livability: parks; trees; scenery around residential areas, ease of transportation 3. City 3-D Model Creativity: how the model illustrates futuristic concepts, materials used Attractiveness: neatness; quality of workmanship; scale model Transportation and moving part components: innovative ideas; practical use; energy efficiency Recycled materials: use of recycled materials in the construction of the model Accuracy: city infrastructure 4. City Essay Essay information and research as it relates to the competition topic: The Age- Friendly City: Design innovative solutions that can serve an urban area s older population. City narrative describes the city and its services Keeps within word limits and shows significant research effort and original thinking 5. Verbal Presentation Delivery/Presentation: how well the students present their information to the judges Knowledge: how well students can explain their city s design, focusing on its benefits and aesthetic quality and expressing an understanding of their city s problems Cooperation: how well students work together Stays within time limit for verbal presentation to a group of judges Maximum Score 0 10 Points 0-48 Points 0-70 Points 0-60 Points 0 70 Points 258 Points
2017 2018 Rules & Guidelines CAPITAL DISTRICT FUTURE CITY COMPETITION What is the Future City Competition? Future City is a competition for middle school students (6 th, 7 th and 8 th graders) to use their creative and innovative imaginations to design a city of the future. Students work with their teacher and an engineer (a volunteer mentor from the community) to design and build their city. Students apply math, science, engineering and technology knowledge to their projects, and at the same time enhance their writing and presentation skills. Three students represent their team with their teacher and engineer mentor at the Regional Competition, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2018 at The Armory at the Sage College in Albany, NY. These three students present their team s 3-D city model and compete for locallysponsored specialty awards and prizes as well as the Regional Title. The winner of the Regional Competition will receive a trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Finals on February 17 21, 2018. Last year s local awards and prizes totaled over $7,000. Requirements & Scoring: Project Plan 10 Virtual City Design using SimCity 48 City Essay (max. 1500 words) with a focus on what makes your city unique and an assigned engineering related topic 60 City 3-D Model showing a section of the city 70 Team Oral Presentation of the city design, model, and essay topic focus 70 TOTAL POINTS 258 The Teacher (Coach) The teacher will lead their team of students throughout the process. Dedicated time is up to each individual teacher. Estimated time 2-4 hours/week. Teachers are responsible for working with the mentor to co-advise the team of students. How do I get matched with a mentor? The first step is to register on the National website: www.futurecity.org. Materials including the handbooks and software will be sent to the teacher. The Planning Committee will assist in the search for a mentor for your team, although many teams discover their mentors through parents/friends. Mentors Mentors are local volunteers from the science/ engineering/technology fields who are dedicated to helping their assigned team 2-4 hours a week. As the team s advisor, the mentor provides valuable input and technical assistance. Mentors are responsible for drawing connections between academics and the real world of engineering. Mentors provide enthusiasm and leadership. Students MUST do all the work. Teachers and mentors coach, guide and teach the students to design the city, build the city, write the essay and abstract, and prepare for the verbal presentation. www.futurecity.org/new-york-albany
CAPITAL DISTRICT FUTURE CITY COMPETITION 2017 2018 Rules & Guidelines The Future City Competition is a program that is open to 6 th, 7 th and 8 th grade students. Students from the same school, home school or members of the same nationally, regionally, or state recognized youth focused organization are encouraged to form a team and design a city of the future. Step 1: PROJECT PLAN (10 pts) Follow the template in the handbook and at www.futurecity.org to set goals for your project, define a schedule, conduct check-ins, and reflect on your experience. Points are earned for submitting the plan. Step 2: DESIGN THE CITY (48 pts) Students will use SimCity software in offline mode to develop a logical design of a city in the future with a population of 20,000 Sims or greater. The city may be built in ANY region. There are no restrictions on the environment, location or celestial body where the city exists. Do not use sandbox mode and turn off random disasters. Students should try to build their city without using cheat codes. Students choose two goals and document the development and progress towards meeting these goals in their Virtual City. Complete the Virtual City Presentation Template in PowerPoint, Word, or Google Slides. The deliverable is a PDF of the final presentation template showing screenshots at 2 phases of the city s development. Templates may be found at www.futurecity.org/resources (filter for SimCity). Status will be updated at Phase I: Sim population between 8,000 20,000 and Phase II: Sim population greater than 20,000. Select a city name to be used on all requirements of the competition. Step 3: CITY ESSAY (60 pts) The team will write an Essay (max. 1500 words) describing the city s key features, design attributes, infrastructure, public services and engineering solution to this year s assigned engineering related topic. This year s topic is The Age-Friendly City: Identify an age-related challenge that exists in today's urban environments and engineer two innovative solutions that allow your future city's senior citizens to be as active and independent as they want to be. At least 3 sources of information must be cited on the essay reference page using Modern Language Association (MLA) format (Wikipedia may not be used as a reference). Place the word count at the end of the document. Word count does not include the title and reference list, but does include captions of graphics and illustrations. A maximum of 4 graphics and illustrations are allowed. www.futurecity.org/new-york-albany
2017 2018 Rules & Guidelines CAPITAL DISTRICT FUTURE CITY COMPETITION Step 4: BUILD THE CITY (70 pts) The team will build a 3-D Model of a section of their city. The model is a creative representation that best represents the team s vision of a section of their city (similar to the computer design) and is not required to look exactly like the computer design. The model may be no larger than 25 (W) x 50 (L) x 20 (H). These max dimensions include all support braces, material hanging below or beyond the tabletop, and any fully extended parts, such as access doors or hinged pullouts. National weight requirements encourage the shipping container and model weigh <75lbs. Model must contain at least one moving part (ie. transportation, power generation, communications, etc.). Designing your own moving part, or creatively modifying an existing item, will earn more points than using a prefabricated or purchased item. Power sources must be self-contained. The model must be built to scale as defined by the team. A max of 2 scales may be used. Students will choose the materials for building the model. Material costs for the model, presentation, etc. may not exceed $100 (cash and in-kind). Students are encouraged to use recycled items. All items used in the model and presentation must be listed with values on the Expense Form with receipts where applicable. No vertical models. No perishable items, live animals, hazardous items, electrical floor or wall outlets, or audio may be used in the model. Include a 4 x 6 Model Identification Index Card to be displayed next to the model including: a) the city name, b) scale(s) used for the model, c) school/organization name and d) names of the three presenting students, educator and mentor. Step 5: COMMUNICATE RESULTS (70 pts) The team will prepare a verbal presentation of their city (max. 7 minute presentation, with a 5-8 minute question/answer period). Presentations should be well polished. Students may use visual aids, such as flip charts, foam boards, poster boards, etc. that adhere to standard sizes (24" (W) x 36" (H) for poster boards, 25" (W) x 30" (H) for flip charts). A maximum of two boards may be displayed at any one time. The size does not include the easel, which will be provided. Other Demonstration Aids: accessories, small mock-ups, etc. used to assist with the presentation must collectively fit within a 6 x 6 x 12 volume (shoe box). If the team chooses to provide handouts, they are limited to one 8.5 x11 sheet of paper. All demonstration aids including handouts and costumes must be included on the Expense Form as part of the $100 maximum. Laptops, DVD/video players, audio equipment, etc. may not be used for the presentation. Please see the handbook for scoring deductions. Deductions will be applied when necessary. www.futurecity.org/new-york-albany