Future City – What is it like to be an engineer and build a city of the future? Just ask the students at Valley Middle School in Oakland. Last year they won the grand championship in Washington D.C. and this year they are hoping for another national title. Future City is a national competition for middle schools that fosters math, science, engineering and literacy skills. They work in teams using SimCity 4 Deluxe software, a program that requires students to incorporate details about the environment, quality of schools, budgets and everything city planners must consider. They also write a research essay, construct a tabletop model using recycled materials, write a city narrative and design a five to seven minute presentation.