Virtual Canstructure Competition Interest Survey

Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads has supported the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank for the past 9 years by hosting a STEM competition for students that doubles as a large-scale service project. This design-and-build event allows youth in grades K-12 to test their creativity and problem-solving skills by collecting canned goods and then building a 3-dimensional themed structure from those food donations. Teams are challenged to raise awareness of food insecurity issues in our community, utilize real-world engineering and math skills, and demonstrate teamwork in a timed competition. Typically held at Patrick Henry Mall in April, the annual Canstructure Competition generates hundreds of participants and spectators with special guests from various industries and business sectors. Most importantly, it helps stock the shelves of the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank with TENS of THOUSANDS of pounds of food! To see highlights from past Canstructure events, please visit www.yvchr.org/canstructure.

YVCHR is committed to carrying out this tradition despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have developed a modified approach to our traditional Canstructure Competition that provides two options for teams: (1) a fully virtual "design-and-donate" challenge or (2) an in-person "build-where-you-are" challenge. The "build-where-you-are" option allows small teams to build a canstructure at their location of choice and is ideal for schools or community organizations that currently have in-person instruction or programming (e.g., scouts, faith organizations, Boys & Girls Club, YMCA). The "design-and-donate" challenge is ideal for teams that prefer to collaborate virtually via Zoom (or other video-conferencing app) to brainstorm and draft a digital 3-D rendering of their canstructure using AutoCAD or equivalent software; the team would then collect and donate the number of canned goods it would take to build their design (but without actually building it). Within those two categories, we’ll also have a prize for the most cans collected.

Instead of gathering at one location and having a timed competition, the event will be self-paced with a deadline of Friday, May 7th. Entries will be submitted electronically to YVCHR, and judges will evaluate each team's work based on a rubric that is provided to teams in advance. Awards will be announced on Friday, May 14th with trophies going to top teams in the "design-and-donate" and the "build-where-you-are" categories, as well as to the team that collects the most food overall. 

YVCHR will provide a toolkit with detailed event information, guidelines and helpful resources. We will also offer strategies for safely engaging students and effectively hosting food drives within the context of the pandemic. YVCHR will be responsible for coordinating the transport of all food donations from each team's "home" site to the Foodbank. As in the past, students will earn service hours based on the amount of time they contributed to the project (from start to finish). The event will be publicized, and we hope to generate coverage from the local media in order to boost donations and increase our support to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank at a time when the needs are great and supplies are low. And we look forward to offering this competition as a way to address the social-emotional needs of our youth!