2026–27 "Fire Resilient Future" challenge brings real-world wildfire preparedness and resilience into STEM classrooms nationwide

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 100,000 middle and high school students are expected to take on a pressing real-world challenge—how to design communities that can better prevent, withstand, and recover from urban wildfires—as DiscoverE's Future City Competition^® launches its 2026–27 season.

This year's theme, "Fire Resilient Future," challenges students to design a city 100 years in the future that can prevent, protect against, and recover from urban wildfires. Students will explore the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)—where neighborhoods meet natural areas such as forests and grasslands—and engineer solutions to make future communities safer and more resilient.

Registration is now open at futurecity.org.

Real-World STEM Learning

Future City is a project-based STEM program that engages students in engineering, problem-solving, teamwork, and career exploration. Last year, more than 98,000 students participated in Future City across 41+ regions in the United States and China.

Working in teams with educators and STEM mentors, students research the challenge, design their future city, build a physical model, and present their solutions to STEM professionals. This year, students may explore solutions ranging from fire-resistant building materials and smarter infrastructure to land-use planning, early detection systems, evacuation strategies, and post-fire recovery.

"Future City gives students the opportunity to see how engineering can solve problems that affect real people and communities," said Kathy Renzetti, Executive Director of DiscoverE. "With Fire Resilient Future, students are tackling a challenge communities face today while using STEM, creativity, and teamwork to design safer, more resilient cities for the future."

Regional competitions take place across the country, with top teams advancing to the Future City Finals in Washington, DC, in February 2027.

How to Get Involved

Future City can be used in classrooms, homeschool programs, afterschool programs, and youth organizations.

Educators and program leaders: Register middle or high school teams at futurecity.org by October 31.

STEM professionals: Volunteer as mentors, judges, or regional volunteers and help students connect their Future City experience with real-world engineering careers.

The 2026–27 Fire Resilient Future challenge is supported by Farmers Insurance^® as National Theme Sponsor.

About Future City

Future City is one of the world's leading engineering education programs, engaging students in real-world problem-solving through STEM-based projects. Program evaluations show that 83% of middle school students see math and science as vital to their future because of Future City; 92% of educators say students learn STEM concepts not typically covered in standard curricula; and 87% of high school coaches report improvements in students' research, problem-solving, and confidence in STEM activities. A Look at DiscoverE's Future City Competition

About DiscoverE

DiscoverE is a nonprofit organization committed to inspiring and empowering the next generation of engineers through free and low-cost global STEM programs. DiscoverE's initiatives include Engineers Week™, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day™, Chats with Change Makers, and the Future City® Competition. These programs emphasize problem-solving, creativity, and the critical role of engineering in building a better future. For more information, visit discovere.org.

Supporters

DiscoverE programs, including Future City, are supported by the following organizations:

• Future City National Theme Sponsor: Farmers Insurance^®
• Visionary Level: Bechtel Group Foundation, and Overdeck Family Foundation.
• Leader Level: Bentley Systems Inc., General Motors, NCEES, Northrop Grumman Foundation, PMI Educational Foundation, TE Connectivity, United Engineering Foundation and UL Research Institutes
• Champion Level: RTX and Shell Energy.
• Partner Level: BAE Systems, H.B. Fuller Company Foundation, and ON Semiconductor Foundation

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SOURCE Discover Engineering