Middle School Students Design Cities Using Fuel Cells
The grand prize winner will receive a trip to Space Camp.
Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 12/19/2006
With help from award-winning computer game SimCity 3000, middle school students in 38 regions across the country are tackling the subject of fuel cells for the 15th annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition. Calling for seventh- and eighth-graders with the assistance of an engineer mentor to design a future city, the competition is held in conjunction with National Engineers Week. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.
An alternative energy source, fuel cells produce electrical power through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen.Produced by Maxis, SimCity 3000 allows users to design and build their own realistic city. When the city is completed, users even get to run it, guiding the city's inhabitants—the Sims—through daily problems. In an essay, students must describe how the city will develop and use a reliable system of fuel cells in residential, commercial or industrial zones and how it will keep their city free of pollution. Each entry must include the exact type of fuel cell and its kilowatt output for specific power needs.
In January, regional competitions will take place. Regional first place winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to the Future City National Finals in Washington, D.C., February 19-21. Some 30,000 students from 1,100 middle schools are expected to participate in the competition. "For tens of thousands of seventh- and eighth-graders across the United States participating in the 2007 National Engineers Week Future City Competition...fuel cells are the key component of urban energy strategies that may serve as real world examples," note competition organizers.Visit Future City Competition for a complete list of participating regions.
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