ACLC and Nea Invite Public to 17th Annual Cardboard Boat Races

The most popular end-of-school-year event for the Nea and Alameda Community Learning Centers (ACLC) is the annual Cardboard Boat Races, this year being held at the Emma Hood Swim Center at Alameda High School on Wednesday, May 27 at 1:15 pm. The public is invited to attend this fun and exciting event, representative of the schools’ creative and project-based curricula.

The culminating project for ACLC’s 8th Grade Engineering Science and Nea’s 9th grade Physics classes, the cardboard boat project tasks learners to use their knowledge of density, buoyancy, and other physical science topics to design and construct two-person boats made only from cardboard and small amounts of tape, glue, and paint. Most are also decorated with colorful designs, names or symbols for luck, reflecting the teams’ artistic as well as engineering skills.

During the event on May 27th, learner teams will compete in pool length races, vying for the coveted Gold, Silver, and Bronze Paddle Awards (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places) and other honors, including the Golden Bulb Award for the most creative design and the Bronze Bucket Award for the fastest sinking boat. Learners also run the event, serving as emcees, timers, record-keepers, boat launchers and providing technical support.

The “Jim Richards Annual Cardboard Boat Race” has been a long-term ACLC tradition with Nea joining in recent years. This legacy hands-on engineering, physics and art project is a permanent fixture in both schools’ curriculums.

ACLC (6-12) and Nea (K-12) are tuition-free public charter schools located at 1900 Third Street, Alameda, and managed by CLC Schools (www.clcschools.com). The schools emphasize a project-based educational approach and democratic model that empowers learners.