KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — If you've ever wondered what it would be like to walk through a major city 100 years into the future, a group of middle schoolers in Knoxville can give you a glimpse.
Annoor Academy of Knoxville students used recycled light bulbs, hand sanitizer bottles, a water pitcher filter and other low-cost materials to create a model of an electrically powered futuristic city.
They created the project as part of the Future City competition, an international STEM contest with thousands of students from the U.S., Canada, China, Egypt and Nigeria.
This year, Annoor Academy sixth and eighth graders focused on Derna, Libya, a 700-year-old Mediterranean port city in northeastern Libya.
Derna sits over 5,000 miles away from Knoxville. Six months ago, the city in northern Africa was nearly destroyed by a massive flash flood.
"The reason the flood happened is they had two dams, and they collapsed because people weren't like checking up on it and the maintenance there wasn't good," explained Annoor Academy student Imran Fahmi. "This killed thousands of people and destroyed the entire city."
"It was a tragic time," added Adam Mourad, another student who worked on the project. "But we tried our best to implement new ways to make sure that never happens again."
Using only recyclable materials for a total of under $100, the model city brings concepts like electric roads, concentrated solar power and hydro turbines to life.
"We found out about the hydro turbines and I thought we could make it a reality by simulating the hydro turbines actually moving," said Muhedin Hashani, a student who helped create the mdoel city. "I myself have some experience in electrical engineering with circuitry and stuff, so I whipped up a quick circuit by connecting the motor to the battery holder," he explained as he demonstrated the moving parts on the impressive display.
Competing with schools from across the state, the group from Annoor Academy won first place regionally. They then traveled to Washington D.C. where they took home a special award for water resource management and placed eighth nationally.
"We hope that people realize that children really are the future," Annoor Academy principal Reem Abdelrazek said. "They have the answers, you just have to give them an opportunity."
As proud as they are to bring home multiple awards, the educators said the competition is much bigger than just winning.
"It's deeper than just a school project for me personally," said Arifa Shumi, the Annoor Academy teacher who guided the students along the way. "Just to be able to think beyond yourself. Brick by brick, we build the whole world. We're part of the puzzle and everyone is connected."
The project took months to create and prepare for, including researching, consulting with engineers and presenting to multiple panels in the nation's capitol.