From Farm to Future: Chefs, Food Industry Leaders, and Engineers Needed to Judge Record-Breaking STEM Competition

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Dec 11, 2025, 07:49 ET

With over 85,000 students designing the "Farm to Table" cities of the future, the competition needs industry experts to join engineers on the judging panel.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DiscoverE is issuing a new kind of call for volunteers this year. The nonprofit, known for mobilizing the engineering community, is widening its net for the 2025-26 Future City® Competition. To properly evaluate this year's "Farm to Table" theme, they are seeking judges from the culinary, agriculture, and food packaging/distribution industries to sit alongside engineers on the panel.

Middle and high school students present their scale model to volunteer judges at the Future City® Competition. With a record-breaking 85,000 students designing "Farm to Table" cities this year, the program is issuing an urgent call for engineers, chefs, and agriculture experts to join the judging panel. Volunteers play a critical role in evaluating how these futuristic cities manage food waste from production to consumption.

The competition challenges middle and high school students to imagine, design, and build futuristic cities. This year, those cities must include a system that completely eliminates food waste—from the farm to the fork.

A Record-Breaking Season: The response to the theme has been massive. Over 85,000 students worldwide have registered—the highest number in the program's history.

Even more notable is who is signing up. The competition is reporting a 50/50 gender split among participants, a rare milestone in STEM programming. Additionally, the 2025-26 season features the highest-ever participation from teams in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region, meaning local professionals have a unique chance to judge students from their own backyard at the Finals in DC.

"We have more students than ever, which means we need more judges than ever," says Kathy Renzetti, Executive Director of DiscoverE. "With a record number of local teams, our judges have the chance to make a direct impact on the future workforce."

A Multidisciplinary Panel Wanted: Engineers can evaluate the structural integrity of a model city, but they don't always know the realities of a commercial kitchen or a grocery distribution center.

"Future City is multidisciplinary," notes educator Susan Solomon. To give these students the comprehensive feedback they deserve, DiscoverE is inviting a broad spectrum of professionals to the table—from seasoned engineers to culinary leaders.

We are calling on:

Engineers & Technical Professionals: To evaluate the structural integrity, technical feasibility, and infrastructure of the city designs.
Chefs & Restaurateurs: To evaluate how food is prepared, consumed, and how waste is managed in high-volume commercial environments.
Supply Chain & Distribution Experts: To critique the efficiency of moving produce from farms to city centers and managing logistics.
Agricultural Leaders: To assess the viability of the students' futuristic farming and crop production concepts.
Educators & Community Leaders: To assess the team's presentation skills, project planning, and the civic impact of their design.

The Role of the Judge: Volunteers can judge in person at the Finals in Washington, DC (February 2026), or virtually for regional competitions. The commitment involves reviewing essays, city models, and project plans. It's a chance to offer the kind of professional feedback that connects a student's wild idea to a real-world career.

Calling All Innovators: If you are an engineer, a food industry pro, or a technical expert ready to inspire the next generation, we want you.

To Volunteer: Register to judge at futurecity.org/judge-registration.
Corporate Partners: Companies in the food and beverage sector interested in supporting the competition can contact [email protected].

Sponsors: DiscoverE programs, including Future City, are supported by the following supporters. At the Visionary Level: Bechtel Group Foundation and Overdeck Family Foundation. At the Leader Level: Bentley Systems Inc., NCEES, Northrop Grumman Foundation, PMI Educational Foundation, TE Connectivity, UL Research Institutes, and United Engineering Foundation. At the Champion Level: RTX and Shell Energy. At the Supporter Level: BAE Systems, Glenn W. Bailey Foundation, and ON Semiconductor Foundation.

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.

SOURCE Discover Engineering