On Saturday, January 21, a group of ten Ashley Hall 7th and 8th grade students competed in the final portion of The National Engineers Week Future City Competition. The girls worked in teams of three to create, first on a computer and then in large, three-dimensional models, their vision of the city of tomorrow. Engineer mentors, Rogers Hook and Michael Roach from the local community met with the girls throughout the process. Sponsor, Crystal Wilkins as well as volunteers Lillian Ciany, Michael Soltys, and Paula Ockerman traveled to Aiken, South Carolina with: Alyssa Melsopp, Caroline Puckette, Julia Meyers, Olivia Norman, Emily Ockerman, Elizabeth Puckette, Ginny Ravenel, Bee Robbins, Savannah Soltys, and Heather Witherow as they presented their final Future Cities at the regional competition. The Future City competition offers an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to relevant issues and is a strong example of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) education. The three teams worked very hard on all parts of this long-term project including a computer model of their city, a 3-D model, and an essay on how their city could be powered by renewable energy sources. We are so proud of these students' hard work and achievements!
