The Imagine Engineering Coloring Contest is a statewide, youth education program for second graders. It was established in 1999 and is sponsored by the Engineers Foundation of Ohio. This education program allows second grade teachers to schedule an in-class visit from a local member of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE).

OSPE member volunteers then visit classrooms in January and February to talk with the children about what engineers do for a living. The volunteer's presentation may also include:

• reading a classroom guidebook to the students,
• talking at a fundamental level about local engineering projects, and/or
• engaging the students in an engineering experiment using everyday items like notebook paper, drinking straws and cellophane tape.

At the end of the presentation, the OSPE volunteer distributes a small gift to each student and coloring contest materials.

A student may enter the coloring contest by drawing and coloring a picture of an engineer at work. Contest winners will be announced in late March. The students who submit the top three entries in the state will receive educational toys as prizes. In addition, OSPE chapters may choose to offer additional prizes for local winners.

OSPE volunteers present the Imagine Engineering program to approximately 6,500 students each winter. 

2ND GRADE EDUCATORS:

• Call the Engineers Foundation of Ohio at 1-800-654-9481 (in Columbus, 223-1177) to register your school/class.
• Then, download our Teacher's Kit for the current program season.

VOLUNTEERS (OSPE CHAPTERS):

Linked is the Chapter Kit for Imagine Engineering.  Please forward copies to all chapter volunteers who are scheduled to make in-class presentations. 

Linked is a list of the elementary schools that have registered for the 2012 Imagine Engineering Coloring Contest.  (Be sure to print all pages.)  These schools are expecting in-class presentations from your chapters.

We will periodically provide updates to this list by mail or e-mail.

Please touch base with the schools in your chapter area at your earliest possible convenience.  If you are prepared to schedule dates and times for the in-class presentations, please do so.

However, even if you don't yet know your volunteers' availability, please contact the teachers at this time.  You can at least acknowledge that they've registered and exchange contact information.  (Your volunteers can follow up with these teachers later to finalize dates and times for in-class presentations.)

EFO will immediately begin shipping "Big Books," entry forms and bookmarks to chapters that already have schools registered.  As soon as you receive these materials, your volunteers can begin making their in-class presentations.  You will need to contact OSPE via phone (614-223-1144) or via e-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to reorder entry forms and bookmarks.

NEW DEADLINE:  Be sure to return your chapter's top THREE entries to OSPE by March 15. This is an extension from previous years' programs.

Please call us toll-free at 1-800-654-9481 with any questions.