The Idaho Regional Future City Competition’s first place award went to Homedale Middle School’s R.A.I.N. team during the eighth annual event Saturday at Boise State University.
The project also won special awards for Best Virtual City and Best Management of Water Resources.
The competition is part of a national program sponsored by regional engineering organizations and educators in concert with National Engineering Week, said event organizer Lynn Olsen, with Boise State’s Engineering College.
“We try to promote careers in science, technology, engineering and math,” she said, adding that engineers represent only 10 percent of the national workforce but create 90 percent of jobs. Olsen said getting young minds interested in science and math is the purpose behind Future City, which had 29 schools competing.
The Homedale Middle School team will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a national competition later this year.
Other finalists included a 2nd Place finish for “Subarashi-Toshi” from Idaho Distance Education Academy, Boise. Third place went to “Dajim” a Future City concept from students at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Boise. Fourth place was awarded to students from Lewis and Clark Middle School in Meridian for their Future City “Chanson de L’eau.” Lake Hazel Middle School’s team was 5th with “STRATA Inc.”
