Schools
Utica students float unique concepts in boat competition
Programs come together to create cardboard boats
Eisenhower High School students recently floated some unique designs in the hopes of capturing a cardboard boat championship.
Approximately 400 students took part in the annual Career and Technical Education/Physics cardboard boat regatta.
The event required teams of students from four different programs to create a cardboard boat they could successfully paddle back and forth across the school's pool.
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Students from each of the programs work collaboratively in a competition level to see which team creates the fastest and most durable boats.
"It’s important that they work with together with kids they may not know so they get that real-life experience," said teacher Ryan deCardenas.
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Senior Murray Meri agreed.
"It’s an experience that is different from what you are used to because we usually work with people you know,” he said. “Here, you work with different types of people from different classes. They share the ideas of things that they know and then you share what you know - reflects a real working environment.”
Students were given cardboard to create their boat over a two-week period. They had to meet certain design specifications and identified materials to create their two-person boat.
The boats then competed against each other in a friendly competition in Eisenhower pool.
Sophomore Russell Milne, who is in the second year of competition, said the program stresses group problem solving to meet its goal. He said his group learned last year that it was important to reinforce the bottom of the boats with multiple layers to keep the water out.
“You learn from your mistakes of the past and build it up to what it is now,” he said.
Students from Career and Technical Education Wood shop, Auto Shop, Design Engineering and physics classes took part in the project. Teachers involved in the project include deCardenas, Jeff Kment, Patrick Packan, Kyle Luz, Lisa Dorothy and Josephine Braun.
Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools
Source: Utica Community Schools
