Student contest allows participants to work with manufacturers

The sixth annual “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Student Video Contest has a total of 26 middle schools participating this year from Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties.

The contest, created by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in Lehigh Valley, aims to generate excitement about and encourage students to consider manufacturing as a career.

The participating students will connect directly with local manufacturers then document their experiences in the form of a documentary video.

The public can vote for the best video Feb. 20-22 at whatssocool.org.

For the 2018-2019 school year, there are 15 regional contests scheduled, each supported by their sponsors and partners.

The contest format has been recognized by Gov. Tom Wolf and has been adopted by groups in 11 other states.

“The success of this program across the state of Pennsylvania validates its design, which is to raise awareness about manufacturing career opportunities for our students.” Jack Pfunder, MRC president & CEO, said.

Project costs were funded by several companies including Lehigh Valley Business Journal, Crayola, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Key Bank, PNC Bank, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Nestlé Waters North America, Just Born Quality Confections, Mack Trucks, Bank of America, Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, the National Museum of Industrial History, Express Employment Professionals, and Northampton Community College.