Story and photos by Amy Vogelsang
Student-built 3-D models of cities are on display until 5pm today and during final events Saturday as part of the Future City Competition Arizona Region.
The competition introduces students to engineering as teams design and build their versions of urban life in the future. Sponsored by the National Engineers Week Committee, the Future City Program takes place in more than 30 regions.
Part of the competition requires students to build three-dimensional models of their proposed cities. Students are challenged to build models within restricted measurements and must include one moving part. The amount spent on the project must not exceed $100.
Since the start of this competition 15 years ago, the Arizona region is the only one to offer a free public exhibition of the models. The models have been on display all week at Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. Hours are 9am to 5pm and there is no charge to attend.
“It is interesting to see how the student models have evolved over this time,” region PIO Vi Brown said in a press release. “Models were very simplistic in design the first few years. However, as the schools and teachers became more experienced with the competition’s requirements, I’ve noticed more attention to details and creativity. The students’ models of today definitely reflect a more futuristic looks.”
The student groups who created the displays will each give presentations and have their work judged at the Future City finals, on Saturday, Jan. 28 at ASU Preparatory Academy, 735 E. Fillmore in Phoenix. The Arizona Region program will begin at 8 a.m. The competition is free and open to the public.
Bringing with him a wealth of knowledge about Mars and a distinct opinion on aliens, Randii Wessen, deputy manager for the Project Formulation Office at Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will be the featured guest speaker.
Wessen is an astronautics systems engineer working in the field of planetary explosion, an experimental economist and author. He is currently working on the next Mars Rover Project at JPL, and will be sharing his knowledge with middle school students and parents in order to promote interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.
Wessen will work with students to build meteors using dry ice, then discuss the next Mars Rover and space exploration at lunch. In the afternoon he will be a judge for the competition finals, helping to select a first place team for the region.
“Given his wealth of knowledge, infectious humor and a love of working with youth, we are excited to have Dr. Wessen,” Arizona Region Coordinator Mike Andrews said in a press release.
