Four Indiana schools were all winners at the first annual Project Lead The Way Introduction to Engineering Design contest held on April 9, 2003. The contest was co-sponsored by the Indian Trails Career Cooperative and the Department of Industrial Technology at Purdue University, and hosted by Rensselaer Central High School. It brought 24 students together from four Indiana Project Lead The Way high schools, including Rensselaer Central High School, Kankakee Valley High School, Twin Lakes High School, and South Newton High School.

Each school's IED team was comprised of four or five students who were currently enrolled in Project Lead The Way?s Introduction to Engineering Design course. Most of the students were freshmen or sophomores. The teams were challenged to design a security case for a priceless item so that the case could also double as a display stand.

Team were judged on their design brief, brainstorming, thumbnail sketches, and detailed three-view drawings, plus oral and written presentation. There were four award categories. The winners in the four award categories were as follows:
 * Best Design: Rensselaer Central High School
 * Best Teamwork: South Newton High School
 * Best Presentation: Twin Lakes High School
 * Best Overall Solution: Kankakee Valley High School