Team Roles

The competition employs a team-based approach. Each team consists of three students, a teacher-sponsor and an engineer-mentor. All members of the team have a role that is necessary for the successful completion of the project. Guidelines for the team members include:

Role of the Engineer Mentor

The engineer serves as a mentor to the students. The engineer is involved in all phases of the competition as an advisor and provides input and technical assistance, integrating real life engineering experiences as the students work on the competition. The students must do all of the actual work, such as the computer design of the city, building the tabletop model, writing the essay and presenting the project during the competition with support from the engineer.

Role of the Teacher Sponsor

The teacher is encouraged to participate in the competition as a facilitator and advisor to the team members. The teacher can also provide student team members with examples or helpful hints as the project progresses. With the assistance of the school, school district and other contacts, the teacher can serve as the media contact person for the team.

Role of the Student

The students are the actual creators of their future city with the help and advice from their volunteer engineer and teacher. Students are to demonstrate teamwork by allowing all team members to provide input. Where there is disagreement, measures should be taken by team members to agree on a compromise. It is through cooperation that students will create a winning future city entry for the competition.

Important Information

  • Use SimCity™4  Deluxe software from Electronic Arts for the competition
  • Models will be built to scale -- team members determine their own scale
  • Model size no larger than: 25" (width) x 50" (length) x 20" (height)
  • Model and team presentation tools combined costs shall not exceed $100 (cash or in-kind)
  • No live animals, such as fish, are to be used in the model
  • If your model is shipped to Washington, D.C., for the national finals, winning team members must work with their regional coordinator on a timely and economical basis regarding the best way to ship model, by the deadline set by the national coordinator.
  • City Design Narrative will provide a description highlighting their Future City features (up to 500 words).
  • Research Essay on the assigned topic for the year (up to 1000 words).

All prizes are final. They are not transferable and cannot be exchanged.