Kicking off MRC’s 12th Anniversary for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®”
Lehigh Valley’s Student-Manufacturer Teams Are Released and New Premier Sponsor Announced
Lehigh University Selected as Premier Sponsor
Lehigh Valley, PA –October 17, 2024– The 12th Anniversary launches the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” (WSCM) program. The ever-evolving student video contest kicks off this year in the Lehigh Valley with 29 middle schools from Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” culminates with an awards event in March 2025. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths, while promoting CTE and STEM education.
In 12 years, the WSCM program has gained momentum and been implemented across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in several other states. The Lehigh Valley planning team has been leading the expansion and will continue to grow the WSCM program across the United States. More than 6000 students from around the commonwealth, 600 manufacturers, and 60% of Pennsylvania school districts resulted from MRC’s launch of WSCM in 2013. Over the past decade, MRC has created the WSCM Video Library housed on the WhatsSoCool.org website which now includes 1,300 student-created manufacturing profile videos and is a much sought-after resource for education and economic development. True bonds formed between the ‘Valley’ manufacturers and middle school students will last for decades to come!
Rich Hobbs
“The expansion of the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing program across Pennsylvania and the United States means more career awareness in the manufacturing sector among students, teachers, and parents. In the Lehigh Valley’s program, we are thrilled to announce our first Premier Sponsor: Lehigh University. This year’s Awards event will be held at Lehigh University’s Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center on March 26, 2025,” said Rich Hobbs, MRC President & CEO. “Lehigh’s expanded support for the program will allow us to grow visibility for our manufactures in eastern Pennsylvania.”
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” student video contest provides 7th and 8th graders a unique opportunity to connect directly with local manufacturers as they use their curiosity and creativity to develop, shoot, edit and produce a “cool” video to document their experiences. Student teams will partner with manufacturers in twelve regions across Pennsylvania this year, where videos will compete first in regional contests and then in the annual Statewide Awards in Harrisburg. The contest is spearheaded by Manufacturers Resource Center.
“Bringing the excitement of “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” for the last 12 years in the Lehigh Valley is certainly a true accomplishment,” states Hobbs. “It takes communities joining together to embrace an established and well-loved contest that not only inspires and educates, but potentially grows a future workforce which in turn, will support economic growth and expansion in the area,” he concludes.
All videos will be posted on the “What’s So Cool” website WhatsSoCool.org and will be open to the public for voting on March 17-19, 2025 for the Viewers Choice Award. The Lehigh Valley Awards Event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The Awards will be broadcast live on WFMZ-TV made possible through the generosity of Air Products, Workforce Board Lehigh Valley, and WFMZ. The program’s continued success and growth are attributed to the efforts the teachers and students have put forth in the community since its inception. MRC and its partners eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, Inc., and EmpowerStar Enterprises and the many community sponsors are committed to its sustainability.
For its 12th year, MRC is proud to announce the following participating schools and their featured manufacturers:
STUDENT TEAM
FEATURED MANUFACTURER
- Bangor Area Middle School – ABEC
- Broughal Middle School – Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
- Catasauqua Middle School- ARCH Medical Solutions
- East Hills Middle School – Tyber Medical
- HMMS – C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
- B. Morris School – B.T.M. Incorporated
- Lehighton Area Middle School – Blue Ridge Pressure Castings
- LMMS – Crayola
- Nazareth Area Middle School – Freshpet, Inc.
- Nitschmann Middle School – Solar Technology, Inc.
- Northampton Area Middle School – Victaulic
- Northeast Middle School – Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America, Inc.
- Northern Lehigh Middle School – Precision Roll Grinders
- Northwestern Lehigh Middle School – ThermoFisher Scientific
- Orefield Middle School – SunOpta
- Palmerton Area Junior High School – TPEI
- Panther Valley Jr Sr High School – Hydra-Tech Pumps
- Penn-Kidder Campus – Ampal
- Raub Middle School – Piramal Critical Care, Inc.
- Anne School – ATAS International, Inc.
- Salisbury Middle School – Polymer Contours, INC
- Saucon Valley Middle School – Hershey Salty Snacks
- South Moutain Middle School – Just Born Quality Confections
- Southern Lehigh Middle School – Amcor Rigid Plastics
- Springhouse Middle School – B. Braun Medical Inc.
- Trexler Middle School – Stanley Black & Decker
- Weatherly Area Middle School – Highwood USA
- Whitehall-Coplay Middle School – Ocean Spray
- Wind Gap Middle School – FMI
“As we continue further into our second decade of building awareness about careers in the manufacturing sector we have increased our dynamic partnerships between business and education.” said Karen Buck, Director, Workforce Initiatives at MRC. “The 12th anniversary of the program reinforces the need for students, parents, friends, and businesses to continue to learn together about the opportunities available in manufacturing. Middle school students experience a rare behind-the-scenes perspective into interesting and profitable careers and see first-hand the important benefits of STEM and CTE education in high school,” she said. Visit WhatsSoCool.org and WSCM Video Library for more information and resources.
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About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®”:
Developed by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), the WSCM program is a video-based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths and technology in manufacturing through “peer marketing” (kids telling kids what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs). The contest is showcased on the What’s So Cool Website and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms. The Lehigh Valley contest has expanded across the Commonwealth and the country.
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” comprehensive manufacturing video library was created by MRC and WSCM PA in 2020 and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED). The interactive library of the who’s who in Pennsylvania manufacturing, garnered from the yearly regional contests, is intended to serve as an educational resource for anyone curious about manufacturing in Pennsylvania. The library can be accessed through the WhatsSoCool.org website and contains almost 1300 student videos featuring over 600 Pennsylvania manufacturers. https://www.whatssocool.org/video-library/
Kim I Plyler, CEO
SahlComm
+1 484-554-5582
kim@sahlcomm.com