What: More than 150 middle school students, teachers and community leaders will participate in South Florida's National Engineers Week Future City Competition Saturday, Jan. 20. Sponsored by Florida Power & Light Company, the competition is designed to help students understand how engineering principles apply in the real world. FAU is the event's educational co-sponsor and is hosting the regional competition at its John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter.

Over the past five months, participating students have worked in teams to design and build a working city. In the process, they have used engineering principles to address such challenges as pollution, traffic density, taxes, unemployment and more. Engineers from FPL and other organizations have served as mentors, helping students understand how engineering principles apply in creating and running a city. Volunteers have judged the teams on their computer city designs and written essays.

At the regional finals on Jan. 20, students will present their models to panels of volunteer judges. The three teams with the highest cumulative score will advance to the final round of judging that afternoon.

The winning team will represent South Florida at the national competition in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2001. First, second and third place teams receive cash prizes from FPL.

  When: Saturday Jan. 20, 2001
        8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

        Preliminary judging: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
        Final judging: 1 - 2 p.m.
        Winners announced: 2:20 p.m.

  Where: John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic University
         5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL (directions below)

  CONTACT: (for day of event) Patricia S. Davis of Florida Power & Light
           Company, cellular, 561-301-9150.

  FUTURE CITY COMPETITION PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
  8:30 am - noon: student models, interviews with students

  1 - 2 pm: students verbal presentations, many models still on display,
            interviews with students after judging has completed

  2 - 2:30: interviews with students/winner (winner to be announced at
            2:20 pm)

  DIRECTIONS TO FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - JUPITER CAMPUS
  * I-95 North/South. Exit #58 - Donald Ross Road
  * Go east approximately 1/2 mile
  * Make a left at FAU entrance (second road east of I-95).
  * Follow the signs for event parking
  * Pat Davis will be on site to assist you (cell # 561-301-9150)

  SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE 2001 SOUTH FLORIDA NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK
  FUTURE CITY COMPETITION
  Benjamin School                     N. Palm Beach
  Carver Middle School                Delray Beach
  Centennial                          Miami
  Clearlake Middle                    Cocoa
  Deerfield Beach Middle School       Deerfield Beach
  Grandview Preparatory School        Boca Raton
  Homestead                           Homestead
  Indiantown Middle                   Indiantown
  Jane S. Roberts Elemiddle           Miami
  Jupiter Middle School               Jupiter
  McNair Magnet School                Cocoa
  Miami Shores/Barry University       Miami Shores
  Miami Springs                       Miami Springs
  Middle School of the Arts           West Palm Beach
  Murray Middle School                Stuart
  Redeemer Lutheran Church and School Stuart
  Seminole Middle School              Plantation
  South Miami Middle School           South Miami
  St. Agatha                          Miami
  St. Jerome Catholic School          Ft. Lauderdale
  St. John Neumann                    Miami
  St. Joseph Catholic School          Stuart
  St. Michael Lutheran                Fort Myers
  St. Timothy Parish School           Miami
  Venice Area Middle                  Venice
  Walter C. Young                     Pembroke Pines
  Wellington Christian                Wellington
  Westminster Academy                 Ft. Lauderdale

PRNewswire -- Jan. 09

NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/FLTU015

AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/

PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467

SOURCE: Florida Power & Light Company