The winning team from the 2010 S.C. Regional Future City Competition, Team “Phoenix.” Representing Blythewood Middle School are (l–r) teacher Nicole Schuldes, Steven Heath, Valerie Miller, Patrick Reed, and Engineer Mentor Stephen King. Engineers have long played a vital role towards improving our quality of life by designing ground– breaking technologies and products in the field of healthcare. Starting this fall, South Carolina’s middle school students participating in the 2010–11 Future City® Competition will be asked to design a program that supports and sustains the level of healthcare that doctors, patients, and citizens will demand for generations to come.

The competition is once again sponsored by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC and the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center.

Students start with a research essay describing their concept, which this year is themed “Providing a Reliable and Effective Health Care Product or System That Improves a Sick, Injured or Disabled Patient’s Quality of Life and Comfort.” Students will also write a city narrative outlining the key features of their city.

As they envision the medical centers, clinics and hospitals of the future, students will also propose, design, and develop the supporting infrastructure— both virtual and physical— that would be integral to those facilities. Participating students will use SimCity 4 Deluxe software to design a virtual future city model incorporating their ideas. They will then build a physical model using recycled materials which can cost no more than $100.

As they address how to treat a specific category of patient with a specific medical condition, students will explore options for the practice of both virtual and on–site medicine. They will detail the development of systems to support diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and rehabilitation, and they will adhere to strict technical and ethical standards.

The 2010–11 Future City Competition is expected to attract more than 36,000 students from 1,300 middle schools in regions located across the country. Now in its 19th year, the annual challenge has received national attention and acclaim for its role in encouraging middle school students nationwide to develop their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Through hands–on applications, Future City participants discover by doing, how engineering is both accessible and can make a difference in the world. This year, for the first time, sixth graders are being invited to join seventh and eighth grade students in the competition.

South Carolina is one of nearly 40 regions taking part in this year’s competition. The South Carolina regional competition gets underway with the new school year in the fall and culminates with the regional finals in January, 2011. The winning team from South Carolina will represent South Carolina at the national finals in Washington, D.C., which take place during Engineer’s Week, Feb. 18-22.

The National Finals Grand Prize winners receive a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., provided by National Finals host Bentley Systems, Incorporated. The second place team receives $5,000 from the National Society of Professional Engineers and third place wins $2,000 from IEEE–USA for their school’s technology program.

Registration deadline for schools nationwide is Friday, October 15, 2010. Future City is also looking for professional engineers who may be interested in serving as mentors. For information, school registration, or to volunteer in the Future City Competition, visit www.future city.org