The Indian Hill School District celebrates the Indian Hill Middle School (IHMS) Future City Team for earning the top spot in the Ohio Future City Competition, held January 20 at the Eastland Career Center in Columbus. The team's exceptional performance secured them a coveted spot in the national competition, where they will vie for the title against schools from across the United States. The winning team, comprised of students Anya Freed, Isha Jha, and Sydney Hoalst, invested countless hours in research, design, and preparation.
“These students embarked on their journey to create a futuristic city back in September, and worked diligently to achieve this honor,” said Indian Hill Middle School Principal Lauren Gentene. “Our Braves demonstrated exceptional dedication, employing design thinking throughout the process. I am eagerly anticipating their representation of our district in Washington D.C. next month.”
“The theme of this year's Future City competition was Electrify Your Future – challenging 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students to envision and design fully electric future cities powered by sustainable energy sources,” said Indian Hill teacher and Future City mentor Amanda Sopko. “IHMS students exhibited outstanding creativity and innovation in their research, essay writing, model design, and presentations to judges.”
The IHMS team not only clinched the first-place victory, but also earned special awards in multiple categories, showcasing their prowess in Best Architectural Design, Best Use of Transportation, and Best Use of Resources. Additionally, they secured the runners-up position in the category of Best Use of Recreation.
Winning student, Anya Freed, shared her insights, saying, “I learned many new ways to generate energy and gained extensive knowledge about transportation, healthcare, and innovative technologies. I enjoyed creating the model, researching, and competing at regionals. I am excited to present in the finals and showcase what our team has accomplished. I am proud of all we have done and how hard we have worked to put our city together.”
Teammate Sydney Hoalst added, “I am looking forward to sharing all of our hard work with everyone at nationals.”
The national event will take place during the weekend of February 17 and 18, coinciding with the commencement of National Engineers Week.
Photo caption: Students (L to R) Anya Freed, Isha Jha, Sydney Hoalst represented the Indian Hill Middle School Future City Team, earning the top spot in the Ohio Future City Competition, held January 20 at the Eastland Career Center in Columbus.