Casper College and the Casper College School of Science are seeking middle school student teams, professional mentors, competition judges, and event sponsors for the new Wyoming Regional Future City Competition, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 15, 2027, on the Casper College campus.
Wyoming Regional Future City Competition Addresses Wildfire Resilience
Future City is a hands-on national STEM competition that challenges students in grades six through eight to imagine, research, design, and build models of future cities. Working alongside an educator and an adult mentor, student teams address practical infrastructure and community challenges through engineering and urban planning.
This year’s national theme is “Fire Resilient Future.” Participating teams will explore how future communities can prevent, withstand, and recover from urban wildfires, examining real-world regional issues such as defensible space, water infrastructure, emergency access routes, and land-use planning. The theme is directly relevant to Wyoming, where ongoing drought conditions have heightened awareness of wildfire preparedness and community resilience.
“Wyoming students will explore how future communities can address urban wildfires at a time when drought conditions are making wildfire preparedness, water systems, land-use planning, emergency access, and resilient infrastructure especially relevant across the region,” said Jared James, Casper College School of Science program coordinator. “Future City gives students a structured way to explore real community challenges, while local adults can support them through mentorship, judging, sponsorship, and industry connections,” he added.
Participation is open to teams from public and private schools, homeschool associations, youth groups, and libraries across Wyoming. Students from any neighboring states are also eligible and encouraged to register, according to James.
Three students, regardless of how many teams register, will be sent to compete in the Future City National Finals in Washington, D.C., in mid-February 2027.
Active recruiting is also underway for community partners to support the competition in the following ways:
- Mentors: Industry professionals in engineering, fire science, emergency response, urban planning, or related technical fields to coach a student team throughout the fall and early winter. Mentors help students ask better questions, think through real-world constraints, and connect their ideas to practical fields, but they do not complete the project for students.
- Judges: Volunteers to evaluate student essays, project models, and live team presentations at the January competition. No prior Future City experience is required.
- Volunteers: Community members to assist with event logistics, including registration, setup, lunch, awards, and room support during the regional competition.
- Sponsors: Businesses and organizations that will support student access, materials, awards, and travel. Financial sponsors may also have the opportunity to host and judge a special award related to their field or industry.
Team registration is open through Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Registered teams must submit their completed City Essay by Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, before the Jan. 15 regional competition on the Casper College campus.
To register a team, sign up as a mentor or judge, or learn more about the program, visit futurecity.org/register. Organizations interested in sponsoring awards or supporting the competition should contact James at 307-268-2225 or at jared.james@caspercollege.edu.
At a Glance:
- Event Focus
- Regional hands-on STEM competition for students in grades six through eight focused on designing and building wildfire-resilient city models for the “Fire Resilient Future” national theme.
- Key Participants
- Middle school student teams, including public, private, homeschool, youth groups, and libraries from Wyoming and neighboring states.
- Technical mentors, including engineering, fire science, urban planning, and emergency response, competition judges, event volunteers, and corporate sponsors.
- Logistics
- Team Registration Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026
- City Essay Deadline: Friday, Dec. 4, 2026
- Regional Competition Date: Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
- Location: Casper College campus, Casper, Wyoming
- Admission and Registration
