Future City Competition: Floatania, A City of the Future

Last January, our upper grades proudly participated in the National Future City Competition, an engaging, hands-on STEM program that challenges middle and high school students to imagine, design, and build cities of the future. This nationwide competition combines engineering, architecture, environmental science, public policy, and creativity in a way that empowers students to tackle real-world problems through innovation and teamwork. It’s an incredible opportunity for young minds to apply what they’re learning in a deeply meaningful and collaborative way.

The theme for last year’s competition was “Floating City.” Students were asked to envision a sustainable floating city set 100 years in the future. Working within a $100 budget and strict scale requirements, teams needed to consider climate resilience, resource management, transportation, infrastructure, and community well-being.

The first step in our journey was brainstorming. The students decided to create a city for climate refugees displaced by rising sea levels and coastal erosion, specifically those from Rodanthe, North Carolina. They named their city Floatania, and began by planning its location, structure, and purpose. Research became a key focus as they divided topics based on individual strengths and interests.

For example:

• Parker, our in-house LEGO master, took the lead as Engineer. He managed land development and transportation, designing wind-powered ferries, solar-powered buses, and a modular, pod-based layout for the city, each pod dedicated to residential life, farming, waste management, leisure, and more.

• AC led Design Integration. She ensured the city’s visual vision was realized while maintaining scale accuracy. Midway through the build, the team realized their original scale was too large for their industrial zones. AC guided the team through recalibrating the scale, a real-world lesson in adaptability and problem-solving. She also crafted intricate miniatures, from tiny animals to tractors, bringing Floatania to life in beautiful detail.

• Oakley focused on Arts and Culture. She developed a tourism-based funding strategy inspired by a local art show, envisioning an annual arts festival that would support the city’s economy. She also took an interest in sustainable practices across the city.

• Mason, our Government Guru, led the development of Floatania’s unique Eco-Centric political system, built on the foundational belief that humans should live in harmony with nature, not attempt to dominate it. Instead of prioritizing growth at all costs, this model places the health of the planet at the center of all decision-making.

Together, the team studied sustainable infrastructure, food, waste, and renewable energy sources, drawing inspiration from real-world technology like CorPower’s wave energy systems. They designed multi-use energy buoys that not only powered the city but also acted as wave breaks to protect it from severe weather.

They reached out to Jen from Epic Shutter Photography, a photographer documenting coastal erosion in Rodanthe, and received permission to include one of her powerful images in their presentation.

You can read their essay here:

Future City Essay - Floatania - Raising Brain Microschool 2024.

Download • 1.65MB

The team traveled to The Museum of Industry in Baltimore City to present their model to a panel of judges that included engineers, architects, biologists, and other stem professionals. Their hard work paid off... they won two trophies: Best First-Time Team Entry and Best Use of Theme

Check out their presentation:

Beyond their trophies, the students gained an extraordinary amount of experience. They learned:

• Collaborative planning

• Decision-making

• Problem Solving

• Delegation based on individual strengths

• Budgeting and resource management

• Research and applying real-world data

• Public speaking/presentation skills

• Adapting to challenges and refining their work

• Reaching out to professionals for expert input and resources

• Respecting deadlines

• Managing long-term projects

We’re incredibly proud of the creativity, teamwork, and dedication our students demonstrated. A heartfelt thank-you goes to our regional coordinator, James Brown, for his guidance, encouragement, and excellent organization throughout the competition.

We are excited to announce our return for the 2025–2026 Future City Competition! This year’s theme is “Farm to Table”, which invites students to design a resilient and sustainable food system that ensures access to fresh, local food in their future city. They'll explore agricultural innovations, transportation, environmental impacts, and equitable food access—another real-world challenge our students are eager to tackle.

We can’t wait to see what they dream up next!

This competition is open to middle and high school students.Microschools and homeschoolers are welcome to participate!

If you are local (Culpeper/Fauquier/Rappahannock & surrounding counties) and have a middle or highschooler that would be interested in joining our teams for the upcoming year, you can email us at hello@raisingbrain.org This year, we’re excited to offer an after-school Future City Club on Tuesdays open to students (public, private, and homeschoolers welcome) who aren’t enrolled in our Microschool but would like to participate. We will send out a schedule to those interested in the beginning of the Fall Semester.