Winners in
the Woodland Elementary second-grade engineering coloring contest include
Aailyah Timmer, Rahjande Smith, Zayvian Garrett, Kaleceona Gordon and Tyler
Moss. Jeffrey S. Kennedy, president of Shaffer, Johnston, Lichtenwalter &
Associates, joined teachers April Leudy, left, and Cindy Colvin in presenting
awards to the students. Thanks to
Jeffrey S. Kennedy, second-graders at Woodland Elementary School now understand
that not all engineers drive trains.
Kennedy is
the president of Shaffer, Johnston, Lichtenwalter & Associates, Inc., a
consulting engineering and surveying firm in Mansfield.
In January
Kennedy visited the classrooms of Cindy Colvin and April Leudy to explain the
work of engineers who design, build or maintain machinery and public works.
“There was no shortage of questions. The second-graders were wonderful, asking what was on their minds,” he said.
Kennedy
hopes more children will take an interest in engineering at an early age.
“There is an increasing demand for people who are skilled in areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math),” he said. “Baby Boomers who have those skills are retiring. If we are going to continue to be a leading country in technology, science, mobility and other areas we are going to need more people to pursue engineering careers.”
After his
classroom talks Kennedy distributed entries for the Imagine Engineering
Coloring Contest, a statewide education program for second-graders sponsored by
the Engineers Foundation of Ohio. Children were tasked with drawing and
coloring a picture of an engineer at work.
On Thursday Kennedy delivered certificates to the five coloring contest winners at Woodland, along with a $60 check to be used by them to purchase books at the school’s Scholastic Book Fair later this year.
Winners and
their monetary awards include:
First – Aaliyah Timmer, $25
Second – Kaleceona Gordon, $15
Third – Tyler Moss, $10
Fourth – Zayvian Garrett, $6
Fifth – Rahjande Smith, $4