Look at the ever-changing skyline in downtown Boise, and wonder, “Who makes those decisions? Who designs the cities of the future?”
If a statewide contest is any indication, they may be coming from the small town of Garden Valley. Which is odd, because Garden Valley rarely has a building over two floors.
But the middle school students there are among the best in the state at designing the cities of the future.
โWe power our city with electric power and Evoques that are eco-friendly and produce no emissions,โ explains 8th grade winner Landon Donley.
Tiny Garden Valley fielded three teams for the annual City of the Future competition in Washington DC – two of which placed first and second in our state.
“It’s a big deal,” says team mentor Meghan Donley, “Our community is very supportive. We have 70 middle schools and 15 participate. That’s 20 percent of the middle school.”
The school has a history of winning the Idaho Regional in this competition in 2020 and finishing 5th in the country. The winning team’s expenses are paid to travel to the national level. But the school wants to send other teams along for the experience.
Kids like Zayn Osborne, who says competition isn’t just about winning for him.
โThe reason I keep coming back is the team building, the bonding with teammates, the building and just all the creativity and engineering,โ she explains.
The school is halfway through the $30,000 they need to get all the teams to DC… and they need help.
The Nationals are starting on 17 February.
And if they reach their goals, it’s another important lesson that trainers find invaluable.
“I think it really gives kids a sense that they really can do this,” says Meghan, “that they can do anything.”
If you want to help these Idaho teams get to Washington, DC just click this link…
