Akins CANstruction team turned piles of common household canned goods into a precisely designed structure, which is now on display at Barton Creek Mall.

 It’s the second year for Akins to have it’s own CANstruction team, which is sponsored by engineering teacher Kena Pierce. The club allows Akins students to raise money to buy canned goods that are donated to food banks and show off their engineering skills.

 The Akins CANstruction team, however, is a part of a much larger organization.

 “CANstruction is a competition put on by the Austin Institute of Architects,” said Pierce, Akins CANstruction manager. “It’s a main fundraiser for the Capital Texas Area Food Bank, and what it is is that you get a bunch of canned food and you use it to create a structure.”

 After the structure is built, the cans will be donated to the food bank, where they will then be distributed to people in need of extra food that they would otherwise be unable to obtain for themselves.

 “The structure has to be something themed around hunger,” Pierce said. “Last year it was ‘Keep Austin Fed.’”

 This year, the  team designed a strucutre modled afterthe Hunger Games series’ Mockingjay logo to go with the  hunger theme calling it the “MockingCAN.”

 Aside from the charity aspect of CANstruction, the program provides an outlet for creativity, allowing for the practice of design skills.  It also helps groups improve fundraising and people skills, giving students another form of out-of-class communication.

 “I want to be a part of this team because I want to eliminate hunger in my community,” Orlin Fuentes, CANstruction team member said.

 Fuentes was inspired to join CANstruction by CANstruction team captain, Maheen Anjum.

 “I wanted to be part of a team and help those in need,” Anjum said.

 As team captain Anjum monitors membership, sends out thank you letters, contacts engineering companies to find sponsors, helps with design ideas and shops for cans with specific colors.

 “I don’t know too much about the founding of CANstruction,” Anjum said, “but I believe it’s a fun way to enjoy something and help benefit our Capital Area Food Bank.”