News

By Sophie Webb

What begins as a simple classroom project becomes something more for Grade 7 students from Redcliff Middle School. After weeks of designing and building popsicle stick bridges, they arrive at Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus to put their work to the test.

Gathered around a hydraulic press, students watch closely. Some bridges snap quickly, others hold, and one carries an impressive 743 pounds!

The Bridge Competition, led by Senior Instructor Chris Nelson (BA, BSc), is more than a test of strength. It’s part of a broader effort to bring young students onto campus, introduce hands-on learning, and encourage new ways of thinking.

“It’s surprising what these students can grasp,” Nelson said. “If you break it down well enough, they’re like sponges.”

That learning starts before students ever step on campus. Nelson visits their classroom to introduce key concepts through in-depth demonstrations. Students watch beams bend, test balance, and explore how materials respond under pressure. Abstract ideas become visible and real.

“If you can see it and touch it, it feels more real,” Nelson explained. “It’s easy to get caught up in theory, but this makes it tangible.”

From there, the process shifts to the students. Using popsicle sticks and hot glue, they design bridges to span a set distance under basic constraints. The goal is simple: build the lightest bridge that can hold the most weight.

Over several weeks, groups brainstorm, test, and refine their designs. Along the way, they build skills in communication, planning, and problem-solving. Just as important, they learn to evaluate their own work.

“I don’t want to give them the answers,” Nelson said. “I want to guide them so they can figure things out themselves.”

This focus on independence and exploration shapes the experience. Success matters, but so does failure. Students are encouraged to think critically, adjust, and try again. “It’s about helping them evaluate things and come to their own conclusions,” Nelson explained.

For Nelson, the impact goes beyond the competition.

“I’m trying to help build critical thinkers and better community members,” he said.

Bringing students to campus is part of that goal. For many, it’s their first visit to the Agricultural Campus. Walking through the Banting Building, they encounter research, technology, and innovation that challenge their expectations.

“We hear it all the time,” Nelson said. “People say they didn’t know all of this was here.”

That exposure matters, especially in a changing agricultural sector where fewer young people have direct connections. Seeing the technology firsthand helps students imagine where they might fit.

“When you show them the technology, it almost sells itself,” Nelson said. “It gets them thinking about what’s possible.”

For Nelson, there is also a personal motivation behind the work. Drawing on his own experiences with hands-on learning, he sees the program as an opportunity to pass that forward.

“You have to be willing to be on the learning journey with the students,” he said. “Giving them spaces to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them is important.”

As the Bridge Competition wraps up, students leave with more than results. They carry new skills, new confidence, and a clearer sense of what they are capable of. The bridges may be built to break, but the impact lasts; sparking curiosity and showing students how far their ideas can take them.