|
Youth Philanthropy Council Launches Fourth
‘Canstruction’ Competition, Invites Local Student Groups to Participate
Published: February 03, 2026
at 08:45 a.m.
By: Press Release
from NNY Community Foundation
Youth Philanthropy Council Launches Fourth
‘Canstruction’ Competition, Invites Local Student Groups to Participate
Project Aims to Restock Food Pantries, Backpack
Programs, Combat Food Insecurity
 WATERTOWN — The Youth
Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation
invites local students at tri-county schools and colleges 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.
The “Canstruction
for Northern New York” initiative is back for a fourth year under the
leadership of the Youth Philanthropy Council, which accepted the challenge
from the Foundation’s LEAD Council to continue the competition.
This team
activity aims to encourage local students to team up and construct a fun,
themed structure made of donated canned food and other nonperishable food
items or hygiene products. Collected items are donated to a local food
pantry or backpack program of their choice at the end of the competition.
“The Canstruction
competition engages emerging leaders in early philanthropic efforts while
fostering a strong sense of community across the tri-county area. By
addressing food insecurity, the initiative encourages long-term impact and
advances the Council’s mission to cultivate future generations of community
leaders,” Watertown High senior and Council Chair April Wang said.
“This year, we hope to inspire more student groups to come together for the
greater good and provide aid to even more families in need.”
Joining the
competition is easy through an online registration at bit.ly/CanstructionRegister26.
Teams must register to participate by Friday, February 27, and
select a local food pantry or backpack program that will receive team
donations.
Participating
students will have a chance to support essential needs for tri-county
residents while learning the values of community philanthropy and building
school spirit around a project that makes a meaningful difference in the
lives of others. Overall, the project aims to raise awareness about hunger
and food insecurity in our communities while empowering students to
collaborate and inspire their school and community to join the effort.
Examples of canstruction projects may be found on the project web
page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY.
Canstruction teams will compete for one of three chances to present a $500
grant to a nonprofit they care about most. A winning team will be named in
the following three categories: “Top Collection Award” (most items
donated/collected), “Best Design Award,” and “People’s Choice Award”
(selected by an online vote).
Last year, nine
participating teams combined to collect more than 6,000 canned and other
nonperishable food items or hygiene products that helped restock two
school-based backpack programs. Winning teams shared $1,500 in grant
funding that was presented to the two backpack programs participants
selected.
Carthage Middle
School’s Builders Club & Student Government 2025 entry “Let Your Love
Flow” was the “People’s Choice Award” winner. Carthage also won the “Top
Collection Award” with 3,219 canned goods and other nonperishable items
collected. The “Best Design Award” went to South Jefferson’s Junior
National Honor Society for its “canstruction” of
“Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes.”
Like previous
years, each winning team will award a $500 grant to their chosen federally
classified
501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization serving residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St.
Lawrence counties. Contact
Emily Pfeil, Community
Foundation philanthropy associate, at emily@nnycf.org for additional
guidelines on nonprofit selection.
All canstruction projects must be submitted by Thursday,
April 2. Complete project rules, including a sample planning calendar
with key project deadlines, is available on the
project web page. The Community Foundation will provide a follow-up form to
each registrant explaining the process for project submissions.
About the Youth
Philanthropy Council
The Youth
Philanthropy Council is an advisory committee of the Community Foundation.
It was chartered in 2010 to promote positive youth development and
leadership while engaging young people in meaningful activities that build
their skills and deepen their understanding of community needs and
philanthropy and its impact on Northern New York. Council members grow to
become critical thinkers as they engage in lessons that may never be taught
in a classroom.
Since its
inception, the Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded 155 grants totaling
$285,070 in support to nonprofit organizations that serve residents of
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
In the past 15
years, nearly 170 students representing eight Northern New York high
schools have served or are presently serving on
the Youth Philanthropy Council.
This year’s Youth
Philanthropy Council includes 16 representatives from Carthage, General
Brown, Immaculate Heart, Lyme, and South Jefferson
central schools, and Watertown High School. Council members are
in their junior, or senior class.
The Youth
Philanthropy Council and its grant program are made possible by gifts from
donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Community
Betterment Annual Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings
Bank, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, RBC Wealth
Management Watertown, the Mart Liinve Fund,
and the Timerman Family Fund.
About the
Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the
Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and
enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson,
Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through
partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual
donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an
endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment
to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for
generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community
philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community
Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors,
professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring
people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy
Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative
solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live,
work, and play.
# # #
|
