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A team of nine talented students from First Flight Middle School (FFMS) earned top honors at the 2025 Future City Competition, receiving the highly coveted Ethics in Engineering Award for their commitment to ethical engineering practices, noted a news release from Dare County Schools. The competition, held at NC State University, challenged middle school students to design and build sustainable cities that address real-world urban challenges.

This year’s theme, “Building a Floating City That Ensures Its Citizens Stay Healthy and Safe,” pushed students to think critically and utilize the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and project management skills. In addition to designing and building their city, the team created a detailed essay, constructed a project model, and gave a formal presentation to a panel of professional engineers from the NC engineering community.

In addition to receiving the Ethics in Engineering Award, the team was awarded a $250 prize in recognition of their innovative project.

“We really didn’t know what we were getting into or if we could meet all the deadlines, but we knew the opportunity for students would be amazing,” said Liz Gary, FFMS STEM teacher and coach. “To go to NC State University and see STEM in action from schools all across the state was just a great experience for our students. I’m so thrilled that we decided to just go for it! The kids and their families were so dedicated to making it all work.”

The FFMS Future City team was coached by Elizabeth Gray, CTE STEM teacher; Brandon Woods, CTE computer/coding teacher; and Ashley Basnight, career development coordinator. The student team members included Holden Hudspeth, Foster Downing, Eli Williams, Declan Reilly, Makai Conners, Hattie Vuyovich, Joseph Hoggard, Knox Stewart, Ellie Lowdermilk and Torrey Thompson.

When asked about the most valuable lessons they took away from the experience, students highlighted teamwork, project management, and collaboration:

– “The most valuable experience I’ve gained is teamwork and learning how working with others allows me to understand and learn from them,” said Joseph Hoggard, sixth grade student.

– “I learned how to manage projects with multiple parts better and work together in a large group,” said Foster Downing, eighth grade student.

– “Team unity and working with people who have different views was an important lesson for me,” said Declan Reilly, eighth grade student.

– “One of the most valuable experiences I’ve had during the competition is learning to compromise to reach an outcome that everyone is happy with,” said Eli Williams, eighth grade student.

Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight praised the students’ hard work and innovation in the Future City competition.

“I got to see the development of these students and their Future City,” Basnight said. “The detail that was required was amazing. Each of the items included in their city had to be created by the students, to scale, and with a weight limit. I watched the team address challenges and find solutions through discussion, trial and error, and at times, complete creativity. The level of teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation was unbelievable. Congratulations to each of the members of this team and their sponsors on their success!”

“Future City is a hands-on cross-curricular educational program that brings STEM to life for students in grades 6 through 8,” stated the release. “The Future Cities competition serves as an exciting opportunity for students to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while tackling real-world issues related to sustainability and engineering.”

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