A diagram of the Southwest team's waste management process for the Future City Competition.

Several Southwest Middle School students took their ideas to Washington, D.C., last week. And those ideas had a lot to do with trash — specifically, using it to make energy.

The student project was part of the Future City Competition, the theme of which was “Waste Not, Want Not,” and asked participants to design waste management systems focused on the four Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle and rot. Though the project did not advance to the final round in the national competition, the Southwest team did receive a special award for its city’s use of renewable energy, said the team’s coach, Danielle Lotton-Barker.

In the students’ model city, the residents put their trash directly into air-pressured tubes that run under the city. Once underground, the trash is sorted to be either recycled or “gasified.” The city recycles some trash into building materials and uses microbes to break down other waste into usable substances.

A diagram of the Southwest team's waste management process for the Future City Competition.

Eighteen Southwest students designed the city under the mentorship of teachers and civil and chemical engineers as part of the project-based competition for middle school students. The project [won the regional competition last month][1], which qualified it to advance to nationals.

The special award, “Best Use of Renewable Energy,” was presented by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Lotton-Barker said. As part of the award, the team was awarded a $300 Amazon gift card to buy supplies and resources for next year’s competition, she said.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Detail of a future city called Tallakha-Muhara, built by Southwest Middle School students as part of a number of exhibits during a Future City competition Jan. 23 at the Kansas University Learned Engineering Expansion Phase 2 Building.

In other news and notes:

• The Lawrence school board will meet at 7 p.m. in the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.

• Third-graders at New York Elementary are taking a field trip to WOW 6 News on Monday. The students will leave at 12:20 p.m. and return at 3 p.m.

• The Free State High School parent enrollment meeting for students in grades 10th through 12th will be Monday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Lunch menu options for Monday:

Elementary school level:
Main dish: Hot dog; hummus with cheese and pita bread; peanut butter and jelly with string cheese; chef salad with breadstick
Sides: baked beans, apples, salad bar, milk

Middle school level:
Main dish: Hot dog; hummus with cheese and pita bread; peanut butter and jelly with string cheese; chef salad with breadstick; hamburger; Baja fish taco, veggie shaker
Sides: baked beans, apples, vegetable soup, salad bar, fruit juice, fresh fruit, milk

High school level:
Main dish: Teriyaki chicken and edamame; egg roll with oriental rice; rice bowl; deli bar; pizza; cereal with string cheese; parfaits with muffin; hummus with cheese and pita bread; peanut butter and jelly with string cheese; chef salad with breadstick; daily sandwiches
Sides: oriental blend vegetable, edamame, pineapple, fresh fruit, fruit sorbet, fruit juice, oven potatoes, vegetable soup, salad bar, milk

[1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/jan/29/southwest-middle-school-teams-future-city-head-nat/