Evanston Students Showcase STEM Skills at Cardboard Carnival

Annual event highlights engineering and coding projects made with everyday materials

Apr. 18, 2026 at 10:50pm

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A vibrant abstract painting in soft blues, greens, and oranges, featuring interlocking geometric shapes and spiraling forms that evoke the interconnected systems and forces at play in a STEM education program, conveying a sense of energy, exploration, and discovery.The Cardboard Carnival showcases the boundless creativity and technical aptitude of Evanston's young STEM innovators.Evanston Today

Students in grades 5-8 from Evanston, Illinois showcased their STEM skills at the annual Cardboard Carnival, filling a gymnasium with projects made of cardboard, motors, and other everyday materials. The event, organized by District 65, provided students with free kits and after-school workshops to learn engineering and coding over the course of about 9 weeks.

Why it matters

The Cardboard Carnival is an important annual event that encourages students to explore STEM fields through hands-on, creative projects. By providing free materials and mentorship, the program aims to make STEM education accessible and engaging for a diverse group of young learners in the Evanston community.

The details

Students received free kits from the Evanston Public Library in early February that included motors, control boards, and tools. They then attended after-school workshops to learn engineering and coding skills needed to build their projects. On Saturday, the gymnasium at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center was filled with the students' creations, including an electronic arcade-style game designed and built by fifth-grader Tilly Scane.

  • The Cardboard Carnival took place on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • Students received their free kits from the Evanston Public Library in early February 2026.
  • It took about 9 weeks for the students to design and build their projects.

The players

Tilly Scane

A fifth-grader at Orrington Elementary School who designed and built an electronic arcade-style game for the Cardboard Carnival.

Brian Scane

Tilly's father, a high school physics teacher, who supported her in the engineering and coding process.

Peter McCarthy

A first-grader who tested out Tilly's game by tossing ping pong balls at the moving ducks.

District 65

The school district in Evanston, Illinois that organized the annual Cardboard Carnival event.

Evanston Public Library

Provided the free kits containing motors, control boards, and tools for the students to use in their projects.

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What they’re saying

“Failing 1,000 times is tough, but when it finally works, you see a light at the end of the tunnel. She can code better than I can.”

— Brian Scane, Tilly's father, high school physics teacher

What’s next

The Cardboard Carnival is an annual event, so the next edition is expected to take place in April 2027 with a new group of students showcasing their STEM projects.

The takeaway

The Cardboard Carnival demonstrates how hands-on STEM education programs can inspire young students to explore engineering, coding, and design in creative and engaging ways. By providing free materials and mentorship, the event helps make STEM learning accessible and empowers students to develop valuable technical skills.