Theme: Design a Power Grid That Can Withstand and Recover from Natural Disasters
DiscoverE STEM – The Illinois Region Powered Up for 27th Annual Award-Winning Future City Competition
Chicago — The sixth-eighth graders were not stopped and trekked through the snow to compete in DiscoverE STEM – State of Illinois Future City Competition on Sat., Jan. 19 at Whitney Young Magnet High School. This year’s theme was “Powering Our Future.” The regional winning team, St. Paul of the Cross School, is preparing for the face-off at the international event is planned for Feb. 19, 2019 in Washington DC during National Engineers Week. This event is the seventh time that St. Paul reached the international finals.
The Top Five Teams are:
- Paul of the Cross School – Hiko Pa
- Prairie Junior High School- Aeternum Industria
- Immaculate Conception School- Gravity Falls
- Forest Park Middle School – Ventus Terra
- Science Academy of Chicago-Mirai
Category Award Winners are:
- Virtual City: Prairie Junior High School – Aeternum Industria
- Essay: St. Paul of the Cross School – Hiko Pa
- Model: Forest Park Middle School – Ventus Terra
- Presentation: Wood Dale Jr High School – Noelani
- Peer: Science Academy of Chicago – Mirai
Golden Square is proud to be a sponsor of the event since 2011, “It is a great pleasure to support these students from Illinois and encourage their interest in engineering with this STEM Program and support National Engineering Week. The competition has great energy, and we always leave the event with a strong sense of awe for the future due to these students,” stated Deborah Hodges, president and managing principal of Golden Square, a branding, communications, and marketing agency located in Chicago.
Whitney Young Magnet High School located at 211 South Laflin Street, Chicago, Ill. 60607 was the site of the competition. The event began at 7:30 a.m. and concluded at about 4:00 pm. The judging of their 1,500 city word essays was held in Dec. 2018. Over 100 judges participated in the presentations during the event which led to the final five winners and the top team going on to the DC event. Amtrak and CECO presented highlights how their respective teams support cities in a natural disaster.
Chicago Wolves is a proud sponsor of the event again this year. Look for a full list of all of the sponsors at https://futurecity.org/illinois-chicago. Their financial support makes it possible to continue to conduct this event. Major funding for the Future City Competition comes from the Bechtel Corporation, Bentley Systems, Inc, Shell Oil Company, and DiscoverE. Additional program support provided by Electronic Arts Inc. and UL.
Theme- Powering our Future – Natural disasters— such as earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes — pose severe threats to cities and citizens. The damage from these events can severely disrupt every aspect of life in an affected region. Especially now, in the wake of recent catastrophic events around the globe, engineers, architects, and city leaders face the critical task of creating resilient cities.
A resilient city adapts to challenges; it has connected systems and infrastructure in place that limit damage and help the city recover. Physical systems such as infrastructure and housing are built to withstand high winds or earthquakes, information systems such as zoning data and maps are designed to support relief efforts, and institutions such as city management or emergency response are developed to help with recovery. A resilient city ensures its residents are safe, their communities are stable and cared for, and the economy remains durable.
For more information on the specifics of the program, visit http://www.discovere.org.
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 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. In the US, over 40,000 students, representing 1,350 schools, take part in the Future City® Competition. Visit our Facebook page for more information and updates on the Future City® Competition.For more information, visit www.discovere.org.
Future City® State of Illinois
The State of Illinois Future City Competition® is celebrating its 27th year as a regional group in the national competition. The regional competition has teams, schools, and professionals from Illinois. In addition to the actual competition, Annual Chicago Engineers Benefit Dinner showcases the top local teams and award winners. For more information, visit our website here or go to http://futurecity.org/illinois-chicago.
Future City® Regional Coordinator
Don Wittmer, P.E., HNTB
Future City® Regional Committee
Matthew Miller, P.E., HNTB
Press Contact
Deborah J. Hodges, Grant Manager, State of Illinois
Golden Square
312.675.6080