06/01/2026
The first-ever Cardboard Boat Regatta in San Antonio Independent School District began with a big Idea and a challenge. Thanks to a $5,000 Bright Idea Grant awarded to Ruben Peña and the district’s Gifted & Talented Department, middle school students from across SAISD traded traditional classroom lessons for cardboard, duct tape, prototypes, and teamwork as they designed boats capable of floating and racing across the water.
For many students, the regatta was about far more than building a boat. It was about learning how to think creatively, solve problems, and work together under pressure.
“So we first researched different types of boats,” explained Harris Middle School 8th grader Lily Rocha. “Then we finally got the materials that we have today, and we made our own prototypes and tested them in water and with paper clips.”
Lily said her six-person team shared every responsibility, making sure “everybody was on the same page and we were all communicating.” Through the process, students strengthened life skills that extend far beyond the competition itself. “It helps us with life skills and creative thinking,” she said. “I really appreciate it because it helps us to experience more things and think outside the box.”
At Longfellow Middle School, Inclusion Teacher Ms. Rios watched students rise to the occasion as they faced unexpected obstacles throughout the day. “I think it really allowed them to not only be creative and collaborate as a team,” she shared. “It also allowed them to challenge themselves to come up with something really out of nothing.”
She emphasized that the hands-on experience pushed students to grow in ways a traditional classroom cannot always replicate. “Today, they definitely faced a challenge, and I think that’s what they need in order to continue to grow and gain more knowledge.”
The competition itself required both strategy and ingenuity. Gifted & Talented Specialist Cheri Tondre explained that each team received only a limited set of materials: three large pieces of cardboard, two rolls of duct tape, and two plastic trash bags. Students also had access to rulers, cardboard cutters, paddles, and sailor hats for team captains. Working within a strict time limit, students had to brainstorm, test prototypes, and construct boats sturdy enough to survive the water.
Middle school students even began the engineering process weeks earlier in their GT classes by building and testing prototypes before arriving at the event. “They brought those prototypes here and got started right away on building their boats,” Tondre said. “That was really cool.”
The regatta also became a true community partnership thanks to volunteers from San Antonio Water System, who worked alongside students throughout the day. Engineers guided teams through real-world design concepts, teaching them how to score and fold cardboard for strength rather than relying solely on cutting. Volunteers also challenged students to think critically about waterproofing and buoyancy.
“They asked us questions like, ‘If you do this, what’s going to happen?’” Lily recalled. “Like cause and effect.”
By the end of the day, the Cardboard Boat Regatta had become much more than a race. It was an opportunity for students to innovate, collaborate, and discover what is possible when creativity meets problem-solving, all sparked by one Bright Idea.
