Southern Nash Middle School Excels at Statewide Future Cities Competition, Wins Two Prestigious Awards BAILEY, N.C. – Southern Nash Middle School’s (SNMS) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) team showcased groundbreaking innovation and teamwork at the Statewide Future Cities Competition in Raleigh, earning the Jacob’s Core Values Award from Jacobs Engineering and the Best Use of Construction Materials Award from Carolinas AGC. Guided by this year’s theme, “Above the Current,” students tackled the pressing issue of rising sea levels, envisioning a futuristic floating island off North Carolina’s coast. Their project addressed challenges posed by climate change, providing a visionary solution that impressed judges and competitors alike. "This was an incredible learning experience for our students," said Sharon Stroh-Cock, instructional technology facilitator and media coordinator at SNMS. "Every aspect of the island had to be thoroughly researched and planned by the students, with guidance from myself and our mentor engineer, Wade Harper, from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)." The students also received support from several professionals, including Dan Stroh, a retired city planner from Bellevue, W.A.; Barry Smart, a retired project manager from Freedom Enterprise; and Gareth Cock a British Electrician currently with Optimum, who provided expertise in electrical grids, communications and building. The SNMS students began their journey in August, dedicating time during STEM classes, staying after school on Mondays, and putting in extra hours on weekends. Their floating city was designed to house more than 5,000 people and featured four underwater levels, each serving a unique purpose. Level 1 served as the primary residential and commercial area, complete with housing, shopping centers, schools, two sports stadiums, and a dog park. Level 2 focused on aquaponics, producing enough food to sustain the population regardless of weather conditions. Level 3 housed the city’s utilities, including water and waste treatment, communications, and electricity generated by ocean currents. Level 4 functioned as the industrial hub, where parts for repairs were manufactured. This level also processed microplastics collected from the mesh surrounding the island, contributing to ocean cleanup. Three students—Piper Davis, Leanna Penney, and Griffin Stroh-Cock—represented the team during a closed-session presentation to judges, delivering a detailed explanation of their city’s design and innovations. Other team members participated by engaging with roaming judges, showcasing their model and sharing the vision behind their project. “Future Cities was a great experience,” said Piper Davis, an eighth-grader at SNMS. "I had no idea how much planning and minutiae of details went into planning a city. We had to think of how to handle everything, from electricity to transportation to jobs to natural disasters.” Future Cities is a nationwide project-based learning program for middle school students that encourages them to apply science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to solve real-world problems. Each year, the competition centers on a specific theme, challenging students to create cities that could exist 100 years in the future. The North Carolina regional competition, held at N.C. State University, attracted 26 schools and 42 teams, drawing more than 1,000 attendees. Since its inception in 2002, the program has grown significantly, bolstered by grants from the North Carolina Legislature that increase accessibility for Title I schools and provide resources for participating teams. When asked if the students would like to participate in the competition again next year, the overwhelming response from students was, "Yes!" For more information about the Future City Competition, please visit the following website, https://futurecity.org/future-city-regions/north-carolina/. ### Media Contact: Heather Louise Finch, Executive Director of Communication/Public Information Officer hlfinch@ncpschools.net

Press Release - Southern Nash Middle School Excels at Statewide Future Cities Competition, Wins Two Prestigious Awards

Heather Louise “HL” Finch

January 29, 2025

Southern Nash Middle School Excels at Statewide Future Cities Competition, Wins Two Prestigious Awards

BAILEY, N.C. – Southern Nash Middle School’s (SNMS) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) team showcased groundbreaking innovation and teamwork at the Statewide Future Cities Competition in Raleigh, earning the Jacob’s Core Values Award from Jacobs Engineering and the Best Use of Construction Materials Award from Carolinas AGC.

Guided by this year’s theme, “Above the Current,” students tackled the pressing issue of rising sea levels, envisioning a futuristic floating island off North Carolina’s coast. Their project addressed challenges posed by climate change, providing a visionary solution that impressed judges and competitors alike.

"This was an incredible learning experience for our students," said Sharon Stroh-Cock, instructional technology facilitator and media coordinator at SNMS. "Every aspect of the island had to be thoroughly researched and planned by the students, with guidance from myself and our mentor engineer, Wade Harper, from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)."

The students also received support from several professionals, including Dan Stroh, a retired city planner from Bellevue, W.A.; Barry Smart, a retired project manager from Freedom Enterprise; and Gareth Cock a British Electrician currently with Optimum, who provided expertise in electrical grids, communications and building.

The SNMS students began their journey in August, dedicating time during STEM classes, staying after school on Mondays, and putting in extra hours on weekends. Their floating city was designed to house more than 5,000 people and featured four underwater levels, each serving a unique purpose.

Level 1 served as the primary residential and commercial area, complete with housing, shopping centers, schools, two sports stadiums, and a dog park. Level 2 focused on aquaponics, producing enough food to sustain the population regardless of weather conditions. Level 3 housed the city’s utilities, including water and waste treatment, communications, and electricity generated by ocean currents. Level 4 functioned as the industrial hub, where parts for repairs were manufactured. This level also processed microplastics collected from the mesh surrounding the island, contributing to ocean cleanup.

Three students—Piper Davis, Leanna Penney, and Griffin Stroh-Cock—represented the team during a closed-session presentation to judges, delivering a detailed explanation of their city’s design and innovations. Other team members participated by engaging with roaming judges, showcasing their model and sharing the vision behind their project.

“Future Cities was a great experience,” said Piper Davis, an eighth-grader at SNMS. "I had no idea how much planning and minutiae of details went into planning a city. We had to think of how to handle everything, from electricity to transportation to jobs to natural disasters.”

Future Cities is a nationwide project-based learning program for middle school students that encourages them to apply science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to solve real-world problems. Each year, the competition centers on a specific theme, challenging students to create cities that could exist 100 years in the future.

The North Carolina regional competition, held at N.C. State University, attracted 26 schools and 42 teams, drawing more than 1,000 attendees. Since its inception in 2002, the program has grown significantly, bolstered by grants from the North Carolina Legislature that increase accessibility for Title I schools and provide resources for participating teams.

When asked if the students would like to participate in the competition again next year, the overwhelming response from students was, "Yes!"

For more information about the Future City Competition, please visit the following website, https://futurecity.org/future-city-regions/north-carolina/. 

The students involved are Alexis Baines, Piper Davis, Caiden Ellis, Anabelle (Brylee) Godfrey, Alexandra Hernandez, Landon Jones, Leanna Penney, Conner Perez, Lucas Pullen, Jose Sanchez, Makayla Skinner, Kyle Smart, Jacob Stokel, Griffin Stroh-Cock, Madison Updyke, and Gabriel Vanorder.

snms

###

Media Contact:

Heather Louise Finch, Public Information Officer

hlfinch@ncpschools.net