“I wish that I had this opportunity in high school. We are so impressed with the students.” Notre Dame University and Cornell University Civil Engineering Grad – Clark Construction Concrete Foundation and Structure Expert

Recently, students met a major milestone called “the big pour” where two primary teams – the design mix team and the fabrication team – came together to make a 22-feet long concrete canoe with a wall thickness of ¾ of an inch and a weight of about 250lbs. The pour was the culmination of a yearlong effort that started in September, when each student researched the concrete canoes that competed in the worldwide American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) College Concrete Canoe competition and generated a computer aided design of a canoe that would meet our requirement.

The ASCE Concrete Canoe challenge provides civil engineering students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on practical research, and engineering design and development experience, while testing their skills with material science and project management. First started in the 1960’s, this challenge combines science, art, engineering, hydrodynamics, and racing technique at a high level. Some refer to the nationally-held contest as the “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering”.

The HCPSS design mix team goal was to develop a mix, whose density is less than water 62.4 pounds per cubic feet, about 40% of the density of concrete (150 pounds per cubic feet). The fabrication team set its sights on how best to build and then create the mold. They started at one-tenth scale or about 2ft, scaled up to one quarter scale or about 5 feet before making the full scale 22 feet long version. Over the course of the year, they developed more than 30 design mixes where they varied the cementitious material, aggregate and admixture, and determined the best mold configuration.

On April 17, 2024, the class poured the canoe. During the pour, the team hosted representatives from Clark Construction and Soltesz Engineering, who provided technical support and guidance. HCPSS staff and Bright Minds board members also witnessed portions of the pour. ECS Mid-Atlantic provided concrete testing support at no cost to HCPSS.

Hands-on learning opportunities like the Canoe Challenge provide significant benefit to HCPSS students. The challenge is a learning opportunity typically not experienced by students until their post-secondary education. The long-term project is quite literally on-the-job training within a high school class, and the experience is paramount to producing future scientific and engineering leaders. 

Just as important, students have the opportunity to work as a team to create a “lifetime memory”. They will have established a technical community of like-minded peers who have similar interests – friends for life. They understand their limits as well as possibilities, so future endeavors will not be as intimidating. And they are better prepared for the technical rigors of life after high school (college or employment), increasing the odds for a highly performing diverse workforce.

The Civil Engineering academy would like the Concrete Canoe Challenge to become a yearly tradition, which is passed on to the next Senior class. The students can learn from past work, and they will use any remaining materials. For example, year two of the effort would focus on sustainable materials, which was not the focus of year one, which focused on making a concrete with the density of water. Bright Minds is seeking area companies who would be willing to sponsor the project next year. 

“The Bright Minds grant allowed our diverse group of students to explore and more importantly accomplish something that they will remember for the rest of their lives,” Mr. Zoltoski shared. “The grant made a huge difference to our students.”

“It has been inspiring to watch the evolution that these students have experienced from the fall until now. They are working together, respecting each other’s opinions, enthusiastically participating, problem solving, and are clearly enjoying themselves. I can feel the energy when I enter the room. This is a life experience that will serve them well in the future. The evolution of this project has been amazing to watch and is a tribute to these students and their inspiring teacher-Michael Zoltoski.” – Mary Brzezinski, BMF Board member

“Build a cement canoe? It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that’s exactly the project these high school kids took on. I was most impressed by their terrific teamwork, and their clear understanding that other teams on this project depended on their piece of it. They knew what failure looked like, because they had experienced it more than once. But they also realized that this is how they learned more and more about how to make this project a success. They attacked each new obstacle not only with positivity, but with excitement. Their proud teacher brings out the best in these kids and knows how to challenge them. I walked away from this visit feeling incredibly positive about the future of our country because of the heart, smarts, and dedication of these kids.” – Susan Porter, BMF Board member

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Contributions to Staff & Teacher Grants may be made to Bright Minds via our website: DONATE, or by check to the Bright Minds Foundation, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042. Please designate Teacher Grants – or Concrete Canoe to support future years of this project – in the comment field or on the memo line.

About Bright Minds Foundation
Bright Minds Foundation is the Howard County public schools education foundation. We work to ensure each child in Howard County has access to the education, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed at school and in life. We do this by bringing together community support for programs and initiatives that increase education access, equity, and innovation. Bright Minds programs respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of children in four areas: digital inclusion, literacy & kindergarten readiness, college access, and teacher support & classroom innovation.