A city of the future engineered by students from Heritage Middle School in Westerville, Ohio, has won the 2008 National Engineers Week Future City Competition. The students--Glen Gainer, Emma Henderson and Jeremy Boyd, all age 13--teamed up with their teacher Debra Pellington and volunteer mentor Ted Beidler, P.E., of Franklin County Engineers. Heritage had won the Ohio regional competition at COSI Columbus in January.

Teams from 36 middle schools nationwide, winners of regional competitions, participated in the Future City National Finals Feb. 18 to 20 at the Hyatt Regency Capital Hill in Washington, D.C.

Second place went to Farnsworth Middle School in Geuilderland, N.Y., for its Future City, Mohala. The Farnsworth team, which won the Capital District competition, was comprised of students Kathryn Liotta, Hannah Liu and Brien Miceli, teacher Deborah Escobar and engineer mentor James Liotta.

Our Lady of Christians School in Abington, Pa., took third place honors for its Future City, Port Tranquility. The team, made up of Paul Gennaro, Kiersten Moore and Maura Nolan, teacher Jane Ring and engineer mentor Julie Gennaro, had won the Philadelphia regional competition.

Fourth place went to Westminster Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and fifth place to Queen of Angels Catholic School, Roswell, Ga. Queen of Angels also won the award for Best Essay and Westridge Middle School, Shawnee Mission, Kan., won Best Model.

Source: Bentley Systems Inc.