The Met Section and Polytechnic University hosted the New York City Regional Future City Competition on January 19, 2008. Help from volunteers from ASCE Metropolitan Section and Polytechnic University made this another successful year for the competition. Thirty one teams consisting of middle school students throughout the metropolitan region arrived at the Polytechnic University with excitement of presenting the product created by their five long months of effort.

When an interstate bridge collapses during rush hour or broken levees destroy a major city, Americans are again reminded of the vulnerability of the nation’s infrastructure, but few people feel empowered to do anything about it. Beginning this fall, however, thousands of middle school students will tackle the issue of safety for the country’s vast network of utilities, transportation, structures, and communications systems in the 2008 National Engineers Week Future City Competition™.

A total of thirty six teams consisting of seventh and eighth graders from middle schools in the metropolitan region competed in the New York City Regional Future City Competition on January 20, 2007. The event was held at Polytechnic University and also hosted by the ASCE Met Section. The winning team was “Esperanza” from Valley Middle School, Oakland, NJ. Students: Brandon Boccellari, Alec Carpenter and Jimmy Kilmek, Teacher: Judith Vihonski and Engineer Mentor: Mike McNally of McNally Engineers PC, Oakland, New Jersey.