Photo courtesy of Margaux & Associates LLC
Future City team members from Dearborn Heights Montessori, Andrew Ward (left), Lindsey Seashore and Cameron Kabacinski, take the stage to present their display.
HEIGHTS – Middle school students from Dearborn Heights Montessori Center received top honors in the Michigan Regional Future City Competition sponsored by the Engineering Society of Detroit.
The competition challenges sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students to envision a city in the future in which they would like to live.
The DHMC student team took third place in this 17th annual competition that drew 600 students from 25 schools throughout the state. DHMC students also received two special awards including Best Futuristic Transportation and Best Use of Energy.
To prepare for the competition, students were encouraged to apply their knowledge of advanced life sciences, solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, thermal power and bio power in team designs and presentations.
“The students’ model represented their ideas very well,” said Sue Fitzpatrick, the team’s teacher-mentor. “I believe they earned their awards based on the ingenuity of their concepts, research, understanding of environmental impact and integration of their solution throughout the city.
“Their alternative energy fuel solution, algae bio-fuel, was carbon neutral, made their city waste and water treatment efficient and its byproducts were used to produce environmental sound building materials. Judges also commented on the cleverness and quality of their oral presentation.”
Middle school staff Anne Devore, John Bagley and Anne Marie Miruzzi also advised and supported the team during the five month project.
The DHMC team included Fouad Alzaroui, Sarah Angold-Stephens, Gabriel Currie, Nicholas Dondero, Dale Garner, Silan Fadlallah, Carlton Helwig, Cameron Kabacinski, James Kosiba, Kennedy Kubica, Andrew Littleton, Keauna Lenton, Ryan Mondelek, Nicholas Nunu, Lindsey Seashore, Cole Stockinger and Andrew Ward.