Photo Credit: Rod PradoEducation
The John Cooper School raises over $13,000 to Fight Hunger through Annual CANstruction Event
A student-led musical production was the highlight of this year’s CANstruction event at The John Cooper School. Complete with standing applause and clapping, the audience was full of smiles and excitement as Caden Albright ’26, Aaron Samuel ’27, and Yohan Vaz ’27 played keyboard, drums, and guitar while singing “Lean on Me.”
“It’s amazing what students can do when they come together to make a difference,” said Kristine Marlow, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Food Bank. “We are grateful for The John Cooper School’s incredible support through CANstruction. These students are truly inspiring. Their efforts make a real difference for families in need right here in Montgomery County, and it’s amazing to see how much they care about giving back.”
At The John Cooper School, that spirit shines through at the annual CANstruction event, where students design and engineer a house out of canned and dry goods to support the Montgomery County Food Bank. This year, their hard work and creativity raised more than $13,000 to help fight food insecurity in the community.
Since launching CANstruction in 2021, Cooper students have raised nearly $75,000 for the Food Bank, turning this unique event into a tradition of giving and teamwork. With this support, the Food Bank will be able to provide approximately 56,000 meals this year.
“While we do not have a formal service requirement at The John Cooper School, you will see our students regularly spending their weekends and free time serving and giving back to our community,” said Dr. Stephen Popp, Head of School. “CANstruction offers students a wonderful opportunity to collaborate in teams for an important cause and to support the integral efforts of the Montgomery County Food Bank to fight food insecurity.”
The event is about more than just raising funds. It is about cultivating a lifelong commitment to service. That mission is central to The John Cooper School, where community involvement is a key part of student life. It reflects the vision of the School’s founder, Mr. John Cooper, who believed in teaching students the importance of giving back as part of their overall growth and lifelong learning.
This year’s donations will provide much-needed food and resources for local families, ensuring that the impact of CANstruction is felt far beyond the walls of the school. The John Cooper School is proud to stand with the Montgomery County Food Bank in its mission to fight hunger, one can and one act of kindness at a time.
The John Cooper School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school. The School’s mission is to provide a challenging education in a caring environment to a diverse group of select students, enabling them to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifelong learners.
Source: The John Cooper School
