Farnsworth Middle School wins national STEM competition

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The 32nd national Future City Competition was held in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. Dozens of student teams from all over the country took part in the contest, but taking home first place was the Dutchman Ducks from Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland.

Farnsworth won the Capital Region Future City Competition back in January, earning them a spot at nationals. As part of the contest, teams worked alongside a STEM teacher to present their vision of a city in the future.

Students prepared a 1,500 word essay, a scale model of their city built with recycled materials, and a city plan to help keep their project on track. Teams presented their work before a panel of judges.

As their first place grand prize for their city "He Hika", the Dutchman Ducks team earned a trip to U.S. Space Camp and $7,500 for their school’s STEM program. The competition is presented by Discover Engineering, a non-profit organization committed to bolstering an interest in science, technology, engineering and math.