Cardboard Boat Challenge

The following report is brought to you by the Careers & International Department about their successful Cardboard Boat Challenge.

The whistle blows and they’re off: cardboard boats of varying descriptions and sizes gliding to the other side of the pool, their builders madly paddling for all they are worth. For those with good designs and a bit of luck, the cardboard vessels not only make it across the length of the pool, they also hold the weight of team members as they pile in, one by one.

This is the first year  Cardboard Boat Races in School District #60, testing the student’s ability to build a floating structure that will outperform all others in speed and weight challenges.Teams of four are provided all the necessary materials to build a boat in just two hours. Students must bring their problem-solving, teamwork and design skills as they create a seaworthy structure out of two sheets of 4′ by 8′ corrugated cardboard and some duct tape.