Canstruction for Northern New York is a group leadership activity to encourage students to team up and construct a fun, themed structure of donated canned food and other nonperishable food items or hygiene products to support a local food pantry or backpack program of your choice!
The Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council invited K-12 and college students and organized student groups in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to participate in a creative and impactful project to help reduce food insecurity across the North Country.
Why is Canstruction important?
- It supports local residents with essential needs.
- It instills philanthropic values in students who want to give back.
- It builds school spirit around a difference-making project.
- Students compete to win grant awards for another nonprofit they care about.
Competition announcements
REMINDER — Structures and submission forms are due by Thursday, April 2.
Click here to access the form to describe creative choices, upload a few photos of the completed structure, and provide details about how many students participated and the total number of items collected.
Competition participants
Six teams are participating in this year’s Canstruction initiative. They are:
| Organization | Grades / ages | Club or class | Food pantry or backpack program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Central School | Grades five to eight | Student Government / Builders Club | Carthage Backpack Program |
| South Jefferson High School | Grades nine through 12 | Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) | South Jefferson Backpack program |
| Watertown High School | Grades nine through 12 | Student Council and National Honor Society Chapter | Watertown CSD Backpack Program |
| South Jefferson High School | Grades nine through 12 | Science classes | South Jefferson Backpack Program |
| First Presbyterian Church of Watertown | All school ages | Church Youth Group | Watertown Urban Mission |
| Beaver River High School | Grade 9 | Earth science class | Beaver River Backpack Program |
Important dates remaining
- Evaluation of projects begins Monday, April 6
- Awards announced April 15-17
Once awards are announced, the Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council will contact team leaders to schedule a photo with team members and structures. Each winning team will then distribute its $500 grant award to a local nonprofit organization — federally classified 501(c)3 — serving Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Please DO NOT deconstruct your project until this step has been completed. After the presentation photo, you teams may transport donated goods to their designated food pantry or backpack program.
Questions? Please contact Community Foundation Philanthropy Associate Emily Pfeil, emily@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110.
Competition guidelines
Need a refresher on the rules of the game? Click the button below to download a copy of the Canstruction competition guidelines.
Competition awards
Three $500 grant awards will be decided in the following categories:
- Top Collection Award (most items donated/collected)
- Best Design Award
- People’s Choice Award (Online vote)
Winner’s Circle
Below are the winning entries from the 2025 and 2024 Canstruction competitions that the Foundation’s LEAD Council held. Far left: Carthage Middle School’s Builders Club & Student Government 2025 entry “Let Your Love Flow” was the “People’s Choice Award” winner and also won the “Top Collection Award” with 3,219 canned goods and other nonperishable items collected. Middle, left: South Jefferson’s Junior National Honor Society won the 2025 “Best Design Award” for its “canstruction” of “Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes.” Middle, right: Indian River Central School’s 2024 entry “Diversity” was the “People’s Choice Award” winner and also won the “Top Collection Award” with more than 2,600 canned goods and other nonperishable items collected. Far right: Canton Central’s Banford Elementary School won the 2024 “Best Design Award” for its “canstruction” of “We CAN build our ABCs.”
To enlarge, click on a single image in the gallery and then click on the image again.
