New Mexico students create floating future city

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — What could cities of the future look like? How will they sustain growing populations? Could they even float on water? These are the questions students from across New Mexico are tackling in the annual Future City Competition.

Sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories, the event is part of a national program that encourages middle school students to imagine, design and build sustainable future cities that are innovative, safe and secure. This year’s competition will be held at the University of New Mexico School of Engineering on January 18.

Students will experience what it’s like to be an engineer while learning teamwork, time management, problem-solving, public speaking, mathematics and science. They’ll also develop leadership skills and build confidence.

This year, students from 18 schools are participating, including those in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas, as well as some from as far away as Cimarron, Tularosa, Taos and To’Hajiilee. The winning team will compete in the national competition in February in Washington, D.C.

“It is fantastic to see the growth in participation from New Mexico schools over the years, not only in the number of schools but also in the diversity of New Mexico locations,” said regional coordinator Junko Mondragon.

Sandia has hosted this competition for more than 10 years to promote STEM education and inspire middle schoolers to explore STEM fields.

“It’s nice to see that some New Mexico educators have incorporated this competition into their core science curriculum,” said Amy Sun, Future City educator coordinator and Sandia systems engineer. “They are teaching students how our environment impacts city planning and safe living.”

Volunteers from Sandia serve a number of roles in the competition, such as providing workshops and technical talks or serving as mentors, judges or coordinators.

Media is invited to attend.