Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Imagination Station, Toledo’s hands-on science center, has been named the first official hub for the Ohio Invention League (OIL), an affiliate of Invention Convention Worldwide.
Supported by the Taylor Automotive Family, this new regional role enables Imagination Station to serve 16 counties in Northwest Ohio, providing K-12 students and educators with STEAM-based invention education through classroom programming, educator professional development and hands-on student inventor experiences.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Imagination Station as our Northwest Ohio Hub,” said Robin Hilsmeier, executive director, Ohio Invention League. “This partnership comes at a pivotal time of statewide growth, allowing us to better support educators locally and expand capacity for student engagement. With Imagination Station’s leadership, students in the region will gain greater access to invention education that builds critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills—the foundation of Ohio’s future workforce.”
The partnership brings a new level of regional access to Invention Convention. The program teaches students to identify real-world problems and develop creative, innovative solutions. The initiative is grounded in project-based learning that fosters critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills—all essential traits for future-ready students.
“The Invention Convention aligns perfectly with the work of Imagination Station,” said Sloan Eberly Mann, chief education officer at Imagination Station. “This program fosters STEAM exploration in a fun, engaging way and promotes the kind of thinking that fuels innovation. We are proud to help cultivate the next generation of changemakers and contribute to this important work.”
As a regional hub, Imagination Station will act as the central resource for educators and students in Northwest Ohio—supporting teacher training, mentoring student inventors and guiding participants to the Ohio Invention Convention, which feeds into the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals held at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.
