Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) of Reading, a program of VOiCEup Berks, is once again challenging Berks County youth to turn creativity into compassion through the annual YVC Canstructure Contest. Now in its ninth consecutive year, the youth-led structure-building competition returns on Saturday, March 14, continuing a powerful tradition of service, teamwork, and community impact.
In the weeks leading up to the contest, teams of young people from across the county will collect canned food donations to use as the building blocks for their Canstructure designs. Completed structures will be showcased on the website (yvc-cantrsucture.org), and all donated food will be donated to Helping Harvest Food Bank, directly supporting local families facing food insecurity.
Over the past eight years, the YVC Canstructure Contest has engaged hundreds of young volunteers annually and has resulted in the donation of more than 55 tons of food to the Berks County community.
Engineering, Mentorship, and Community Impact
The Canstructure Contest continues to grow as part of VOiCEup Berks’ broader strategy to develop a pipeline of civically engaged leaders in Berks County, connecting middle and high school students with college-aged mentors who remain rooted in their local community.
This year’s Canstructure is once again supported by a strong collaboration with Penn State Berks, where the Engineering Ahead program is spearheading the fifth annual PSU Canstructure Open House on Friday, February 20. Through this event, Penn State students serve as mentors to Canstructure teams, guiding youth through hands-on activities focused on structural design, collaboration, communication, and creative problem-solving. Engineering Ahead students will also construct their own Canstructure on campus, modeling both technical skills and civic responsibility.
The Penn State mentors participating through Engineering Ahead are engaged in service through Generation Impact, VOiCEup Berks’ young adult initiative designed to keep college-aged students connected to Berks County through meaningful service, leadership development, and community partnerships. Together, these programs reflect VOiCEup Berks’ role as an anchor institution for service learning and youth empowerment, creating clear pathways from early youth engagement to sustained civic involvement in young adulthood.
“Canstructure shows what’s possible when we intentionally connect service learning across age groups,” said Dr. Ryan Hassler, Director of Engineering Ahead at Penn State Berks. “Our students aren’t just learning engineering concepts, they’re mentoring younger students and seeing how their skills can be used to strengthen the community they’re part of.”
A Legacy of Youth Service
The Canstructure Contest is one of many initiatives led by YVC of Reading, which is hosted by VOiCEup Berks. Since its founding in 2016, VOiCEup Berks has engaged more than 4,400 young people in over 55,000 hours of service, connecting youth and young adults with meaningful volunteer opportunities year-round.
“Events like Canstructure are a cornerstone of how we build long-term civic leadership in Berks County,” said Katie Diamond Rothstein, Program Director of Generation Impact at VOiCEup Berks. “From middle and high school students discovering the power of service, to college students mentoring and staying engaged locally, we’re intentionally creating opportunities for young people to see themselves as leaders in this community and to stay invested in it.”
For more information about the YVC Canstructure Contest or how to get involved, visit www.voiceupberks.org/yvc or email info@voiceupberks.org. VOiCEup Berks is a fund of the Berks County Community Foundation.
