Argenziano School 7th & 8th Graders Enjoy 2017 Future City Engineering Competition at Nationals in Washington DC

Seventh and eighth graders from Argenziano School in Somerville are still talking about making it to the national level of the Future City Engineering Competition after having won the regional New England contest in January.

“We had a good time, it was a good experience,” said Nasreen Kaur, an eighth grader and one of Argenziano’s team captains. She said that the Argenziano team, which placed squarely in the middle of the pack; about 34th in a field of 42 competitors, had fun and learned a lot during the days they spent in Washington D.C. at the national contest over winter break.

Every member of the team was able to attend the national competition thanks their parents, and the support of the school and the Parent-Teacher Association, said Michael Coughlin, the 7th and 8th grade science teacher and Future Cities club advisor. Seventh graders included Emily Howley, Jamie DaSilva, Bridget Cort, Hardik Pokhrel, Jonathan Peddle, Nikhilesh Rattan; participating eighth graders were Derek Sebastiao, Hannah O’Sullivan and Kaur.

“It was challenging,” Ms. Kaur said, adding the competition included three teams from China, two from Canada and even a team from Egypt.

“But we were able to meet the judges over the course of the contest and talk to them before we made our presentation,” Ms. Kaur said, explaining that meeting them reduced the team’s nervousness before they made their presentation. “It was like talking to friends.”

The Future Cities project challenges middle-schoolers to design a self-sufficient city that embraces specific concepts that change yearly. The 2017 goal was to create a city that embodied the “Power of Public Space.” Teams are required to research their project, write an essay and a presentation, build a scale model of the city and create a virtual city through SIMCITY. In the past teams tackled recycling, education and urban farming.

Argenziano’s team, created the city of Samanborg (meaning “Together City” in Icelandic). In additional to a park modeled on Manhattan’s linear park “The Highline,” the youngsters added hiking, biking and skating paths and venues, an amphitheater for public performances and water-reactive poetry that appears on the sidewalks in the rain.

The city of Samanborg boasts commerce, industry, vertical urban farming and even has universities and colleges; all powered by a combination of a geothermal power plant and electricity generated by athletes working out in the city’s gyms.

Mr. Coughlin said he will consider suggesting students embed technology in their model city next year; links and scan-able objects, as well as preparing a true engineering team for the regional competition.

“They did very well, I’m so proud of them,” Mr. Coughlin said. “We now have a new goal; win the Regionals every year!”

When the team won the New England regional competition in January, Argenziano Principal Alexander Mathews, said “Pondering the needs of the cities of the future is not easy. These students had to use all they’d learned, but also be able to think on their own and be able to innovate and create. They did all this while collaborating with each other throughout the process. That is really impressive and all of us are so proud of what they accomplished.”

In addition to seeing how other teams tackled the problems and picking up hints for next year; the youngsters enjoyed a private tour of the Capital provided by Congressman Michael Capuano (D-MA 7th District).

“We got to see the tunnels that connect the buildings,” Ms. Kaur said, adding that they saw the House and Senate Chambers and learned about the statue of Freedom on the Capital dome.

Photo Credit: Emily Howley: The team; from left; Emily Howley, Bridget Cort, Jamie DaSilva, Hannah O'Sullivan, Hardik Pokhrel, Jonathan Peddle, Nikhilesh Rattan, Derek Sebastiao and Nasreen Kaur show off their trophy and the mock-up of their future city "Samanborg."