NNPS students sweep awards at Canstructure Competition
Posted: April 27, 2026
Each year, students find new and different ways to create innovative designs with canned food donations they have collected.
Newport News Public Schools students used their building skills and imaginations, and took home all of the awards, at the Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads Annual Canstructure Competition April 25 at Patrick Henry Mall.
“Congratulations to all of these amazing students,” said Katie Morgan, executive director of YVC of Hampton Roads.
Canstructure is a benefit for the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula where teams of students collect and create designs to use hundreds of cans of food to build a unique three-dimensional work of art. This year’s theme was Building a Brighter Future!
All of the cans collected were donated to the Foodbank upon completion of the competition.
An Achievable Dream Academy received the award for collecting the most cans at 5,168.
Saunders Elementary School’s design won the elementary school category with An Achievable Dream Academy awarded runner-up. For middle schools, Gildersleeve Middle School was the winner with Hines Middle School honored as runner-up.
Menchville High School won the high school division, with by Denbigh High School receiving runner-up. Passage Middle School received the Fan Favorite Award.
Elementary school teams constructed their canstructures at their respective schools and judges visited prior to Saturday to record each team’s presentation. Middle and high school teams built their canstructures at the mall with their innovation and creativity on display for community members to see happening in real time.
