Local students who want to try their hand in an upcoming building event using only canned goods can begin registering now.
A Leadership Johnson County team is planning an event where students can practice their building and STEM skills in a competition to build a 3-D structure from canned goods. The competition will be Jan. 14 at Whiteland Community High School.
Teams have until Friday to register at johnson countycanbuild.weebly.com. The competition is open to three grade brackets: kindergarten through fifth grade, middle school and high school.
Students can form teams of up to 10 and will need to collect or buy the canned goods needed to build their structure.
Teams will build the structures during the Johnson County Boys Basketball Tournament on Jan. 14. The community can vote on the projects at halftime. The winner will be announced after the third quarter of the championship game.
The Leadership Johnson County team organizing the event has been putting posters in schools and working with STEM coaches to let parents and students know about the event, which they would like to continue annually, said Jerry Spindler, one of the team members.
All of the canned items used to build the structures will be donated to local food pantries. The winning team will also be able to designate a local nonprofit to receive a donation.
