Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back while sharing your passion for STEM, urban planning, project management, or design? Join the Future City Middle School as a volunteer and help students bring bold ideas to life as they imagine cities of the future.
Each year, thousands of middle school students across the country take on a real-world challenge designing innovative, sustainable cities through hands-on, project-based learning. Students’ creativity and critical thinking lay the foundation for the program, but it’s the support of volunteers like you that makes it all possible.
How Can You Get Involved?
There are many rewarding ways to get involved with Future City, whether you choose to volunteer as a mentor, a judge, or both! Each role offers a flexible and meaningful way to support students as they imagine and build better cities for the future.
Support a Team as a Mentor
Mentors support student teams throughout the competition season. While the students lead the work, mentors help them explore today’s engineering challenges and find innovative solutions.
As a mentor, you’ll:
- Support the team’s research and problem-solving
- Share your professional experiences and career path
- Provide feedback on their City Essay, Model, and Presentation
- Serve as a sounding board as they develop their ideas
Time commitment: 15–25 hours between September and February
“Future City competition became my passion. Now it’s part of my life. Everywhere I go, I look for ideas and innovations.” – Anna Zola, Mentor, NJ Region
Volunteer as a Judge
Judges play a key role in celebrating students’ efforts and helping them grow. Whether you’re reviewing essays or scoring presentations, your feedback helps students build confidence and sharpen their skills.
As a judge, you can participate in one or more of the following roles:
- City Essay Judge (Virtual)
- City Model Judge (In-person)
- Team Presentation Judge (In-person)
Who can judge? Engineers, technicians, urban planners, architects, project managers, and other STEM professionals or industry partners are all welcome.
Time commitment: 4–8 hours in January or February
“It’s such a great opportunity to support youth in pursuing STEM careers, it is rewarding for the judge as it reinvigorates your purpose for the work you do, and it’s just fun!” – Engineer, Houston Texas
Ready to Make an Impact?
Whether you’re guiding a team as a mentor or helping evaluate student work as a judge, your time and insight help shape the next generation of engineers, thinkers, and change makers.
Learn more and sign up to volunteer:
Discover how you can support the Future City program by registering as a:
Ready to inspire the next generation of innovators? Learn more and sign up today!