The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and the city of Aurora are inviting youth enrolled in middle and high school to participate in the Smart City Youth Design Challenge.

• Click This Link To Register

According to a release from IMSA and the city, more than 50 youth will be selected to participate in a one-day challenge at IMSA, where they will design Aurora as the smart city of the future.

“Poised to become a sandbox for innovation, Aurora is partnering with world-class companies and investing in smart city infrastructure to become a leading-edge urban development hub for the state of Illinois and beyond,” the city said in a news release.

Youth will work in teams of four or five with facilitators to ideate and design what transportation, education, entertainment, community, energy and other parts of the city could be like in a city of the future.

Youth teams will then be invited to a special event with the city of Aurora leaders to pitch their ideas and meet with city partners such as Bureau Gravity, Cities Today Institute, and Smart City Capital.

Challenge Details

• When:
  • 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9: Youth Challenge Briefing.
  • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15: Smart Cities Youth Design Sprint.
  • noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19: Youth Design Pitch to City Leaders.
• Where: Steve and Jamie Chen Center for Innovation & Inquiry, at IMSA. Sullivan Road, Aurora.
• Registration: To register yourself or a youth leader, reserve a spot with an Eventbrite ticket (https://www.eventbrite.com/edit?eid=70267466885) and complete the registration form for the challenge.
• Contact:  For more information, contact Sue Fricano, center coordinator on in2@imsa.edu or call 630-907-5946.