Better bring a towel: Shuswap students race in cardboard boats

A sheet of cardboard,X-acto Knife, and some duct tape who said you need more to make a sea-faring vessel?

Dozens of students from the NorthOkanaganShuswapSchool Districtput their heads together to createboats out of cardboard boxes. The competition was put on by Skills Canada B.C. as a test of creativity, and racing skills.

• LISTEN:Better bring a towel: Shuswap students race in cardboard boats

"It's a fun event, but there's some real serious learning that goes on in between the fun," saidReneRagetlin of Skills CanadaB.C.

Each middle school from the district had its own team of students putting pen to paper to sketch out plans for a racing boat. Thenthey had to put it together using only cardboard and race the full length of a recreational pool in Salmon Arm.

"That'sthe challenge ... to design a boat that will hold two people that will make it the length of the pool," said Mark Marino, career supervisor for the school district.

When the boats finally hit the water, chaos ensued boats sank and several captains were forced toabandoned ship.

But there were a few students who made it to the end, including the winning team fromShuswapMiddle School.

Marino says that aside from being a fun break from the classroom, the competition was an important skill-building exercise.

"The bigger part for me is the critical thinking, the communication with your team members, and being creative. Those are critical core competencies that all of our learnersshouldhave," he said.

"That's what is going to make them successful in their future being able to problem solve."

Click here to listen to the students building and racing their cardboard boats

With files from CBC's Radio West