Celebrating Eastern Idaho’s Future STEM Leaders

These are the seven students who worked together for the regional competition. Going from the bottom left: Grace Alexander and Emeris Boza. Standing students from left to right: Luke Bloxham, Dylan Paull, Mrs. Hillary Congdon, Ryker Chinn, Ethan Williams and Charlotte Congdon. | Courtesy Hillary Congdon

We are proud to celebrate eastern Idaho’s young innovators who are heading to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national Future City Competition finals this week. A team of students from American Heritage Charter School in Idaho Falls earned first place at the regional competition in Boise with a model that tackled real-world problems like food waste, sustainability, and future transportation. They spent months researching city planning, budgeting, power systems, and more — all while strengthening teamwork, creative thinking, and STEM excellence.

This accomplishment highlights our region’s commitment to nurturing future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math — preparing students for the careers of tomorrow right here in eastern Idaho. At REDI we believe that supporting educational pathways like this is fundamental to growing a skilled workforce and showing young people that align with REDI’s marketing around “You Belong in Eastern Idaho!” — where opportunities to learn, innovate, and compete on a national stage are within reach.

Let’s give a round of applause to these students for representing Eastern Idaho’s talent and ambition with excellence and creativity.

Read more here: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/02/local-students-head-to-washington-d-c-this-week-for-future-city-competition-finals/