In honor of National Engineers Week, a time designed to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers, Omaha Public Power District’s Society of Engineers is asking fifth grade students throughout our 13-county service territory to take part in our 12th annual Marshmallow Challenge.
The contest encourages teams of 3-4 students to work together to innovate and problem-solve. Students will be given 20 minutes to construct the tallest free-standing structure that is able to support the marshmallow using the materials provided:
- 20 full pieces of spaghetti - Standard sized spaghetti, not fettuccini or angel hair
- One (1) standard sized marshmallow (approximately 1” by 1.25”) - No mini or jumbo marshmallows
- One (1) yard (36”) of standard masking tape
- One (1) yard (36”) of string
"Free Standing" is defined as:
- Uses only the provided materials to remain upright
- Requires no human contact to remain upright
- Is not leaning against any surface other than the desk top or table top it is constructed on
- Is not supported from above by any means
- Is not secured to the desk top or table top using tape or string
The structure must remain free-standing until it is measured and photographed.
Materials can be manipulated as necessary:
- Spaghetti can be broken
- Tape and string can be cut
- The marshmallow may be pierced by spaghetti but must maintain its shape and general integrity. It cannot be cut into smaller pieces or be reduced in size by any means.
Once the contest has started materials will not be replaced. Structures will be constructed on a table or desk top. Participants can use scissors, rulers, paper, pens, pencils and other supplies as needed during the construction process but these items cannot be incorporated in the structure itself.
The tallest structure will be declared the winner. The tallest structure will be determined as the perpendicular distance from the table top to the top of the marshmallow measured to the nearest quarter (1/4) inch.
It is up to the individuals, teams, and facilitators to maintain the integrity and fairness of these rules and the contest itself.
Submit your entries below no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
