Future City Competition Funding for Montana Middle School Teams

Bring Future City to Your School or Youth Program

The Science Math Resource Center at Montana State University (MSU), in partnership with SMART FIRES and the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative, is launching a pilot program to support up to five Montana middle school teams participating in the 2026-27 Future City Competition.

Future City is a nationally recognized STEM program that challenges students in grades 6-8 to imagine, design, and present a city 100 years into the future. Along the way, students apply engineering, science, mathematics, communication, and teamwork skills to solve real-world problems.

This year’s theme, Fire Resilient Future, challenges students to design a city that can prevent, withstand, and recover from urban wildfires. The theme aligns closely with the goals of Montana’s SMART FIRES project, an interdisciplinary effort focused on prescribed fire and smoke science.

What Is Future City?

Future City asks students to answer a big question:

How can we create a better future?

Working in teams with an educator and a volunteer STEM mentor, students investigate a real-world engineering challenge and develop innovative solutions through city design.

Teams imagine what life might look like in a city 100 years from now, then create a detailed plan for a future community that addresses pressing sustainability and resilience challenges.

Students develop skills in:

  • Engineering design and project management
  • Scientific inquiry and problem solving
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Research and technical writing
  • Public speaking and communication

Future City aligns with Common Core standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and other nationally recognized STEM education frameworks.

Competition Deliverables

Teams complete four major project components:

City Essay

A written description of the team’s future city and its solution to the annual challenge (up to 1,500 words).

City Model

A physical model built primarily from recycled materials that includes at least one moving part.

Project Plan

A project management document outlining goals, tasks, milestones, and team responsibilities.

Presentation and Q&A

A seven-minute presentation followed by questions from STEM professionals serving as judges.

Regional Competition

Teams will present their projects at a regional Future City competition in January 2027.

Regional competitions available to Montana teams include:

  • Idaho — January 23, 2027, Boise State University (Boise)
  • Wyoming — January 23, 2027, Casper College (Casper)
  • North Dakota — Bismarck (date TBD)
  • South Dakota — Date and location TBD

Regional champions advance to the Future City Finals in February 2027, competing against top teams from across the United States and around the world.

MSU Funding Opportunity

Selected teams will receive:

  • Future City registration fees
  • Required background check fees
  • $100 for project supplies
  • $300 in regional travel support
  • $500 coach stipend

Funding is available for up to five Montana teams.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Be a Montana-based youth-serving organization, such as a school, afterschool program, 4-H club, scouting organization, Boys & Girls Club, or similar program
  • Commit to participating in a January 2027 regional competition
  • Complete all competition deliverables on time
  • Identify a coach who can guide the team while allowing students to lead the project
  • Meet approximately once per week for 2-3 hours
  • Have access to recycled materials for model building
  • Have a meeting and workspace suitable for hands-on project work
  • Include at least three middle school students (there is no maximum team size)
  • Demonstrate the ability to support additional travel costs beyond the provided regional travel funding

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

  • Student need and access
  • Coach commitment and capacity
  • Student recruitment plan
  • Community impact
  • Organizational support

Apply

Application Deadline: September 7, 2026

Funding Notifications: September 11, 2026

Apply for funding

Attend an Information Session

Interested educators, youth leaders, and potential coaches are invited to attend a virtual information session:

Thursday, August 20, 2026
4:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

To receive the meeting link, join the Future City interest list.

Learn More

For more information about the Future City Competition, visit:

Future City Middle School