“What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Announces 2020 Lehigh Valley Awards
WHAT’S SO COOL ABOUT MANUFACTURING LEHIGH VALLEY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Online Votes Tally 225,477 and over 1,000 People Attended the Event, Broadcast Live on WFMZ
The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) is proud to announce the award recipients for the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Lehigh Valley student video contest awards. The ceremony was broadcast live on WFMZ, thanks to generous contributions from Air Products Foundation, Workforce Board Lehigh Valley and WFMZ-TV in partnership with Manufacturers Resource Center. Over 1,000 people attended the event, held Tuesday February 25, 2020 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks Bethlehem, PA. The WSCM program, created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) and teaming partners eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications and EmpowerStar Marketing, received 225,477 votes over a three-day voting period.
The video with the most votes received the “Viewers Choice Award.” The videos were also reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in ten other categories, including Outstanding Brand Placement and Outstanding Creativity. Preceding the main program, culinary arts programs from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Career Institute of Technology, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute hosted a dessert reception and Cupcake Competition, judged by Carlo’s Bakery, Lehigh University and Factory. Water and candy was provided by Nestlé Waters and Just Born Quality Confections.
The WSCM contest, presented by MRC, partners students from 30 schools in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties with 30 local manufacturers. Each student team will script, shoot, edit and promote a short video that documents their experience, highlighting what is “cool” about manufacturing. The winning videos in the region will be considered to represent the Lehigh Valley at the third-annual statewide competition in April.
“This was a great contest and the hard work of the students, teachers and manufacturers is really evident,” said Rich Hobbs, President and CEO at MRC. “Being able to broadcast the awards event live means the results of that hard work have reached so much deeper into the community to raise awareness about manufacturing career opportunities.”
This year’s awards are as followed:
1. Outstanding Overall Program: Northeast Middle School – Nestlé Waters North America
2. Outstanding Editing: Northampton Area Middle School – Innovative
3. Outstanding Creativity: Nitschmann Middle School – B. Braun Medical Inc.
4. Outstanding Cool: Lower Macungie Middle School – Smooth-On, Inc.
5. Outstanding Team Spirit: Bangor Area Middle School – Equipto
6. Outstanding Educational Value: Broughal Middle School – IQE, Inc.
7. Outstanding Videography: Eyer Middle School – Allen Organ Company
8. Viewers Choice: Springhouse Middle School – Sharp Packaging Solutions
9. Outstanding Outreach Plan: Wilson Area Intermediate School – Crayola
10. Outstanding Career Pathway: Penn-Kidder Campus – TPEI
11. Outstanding Brand Placement: Saucon Valley Middle School – Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
12. Sweet Manufacturing Cupcake Award Winner: Career Institute of Technology (CIT)
Visit WhatsSoCool.org for more information and resources and follow on Facebook.com/wscmlv and Twitter @wscmlv.
About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing”:
Developed by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), WSCM program is a video based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths and technology in manufacturing. MRC developed this innovative career awareness program that at its core is “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 is expanding across the Commonwealth and the country. Inside Pennsylvania there will be 16 regions conducting contests this year.
This contest gives students the opportunity to connect with local manufacturers, document their experiences and present them in an educational and “cool” way. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths, and CTE and STEM education.
About Manufacturers Resource Center:
For over 30 years, the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) has helped small and mid-sized manufacturers become more competitive, adopt lean and agile processes, strategically grow their companies and invest more effectively in their existing human capital. MRC is a nonprofit organization partially funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST-MEP program, as well as the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. The MRC is dedicated to creating jobs and economic opportunity in eastern Pennsylvania’s Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.