Kicking off MRC’s 14th Anniversary for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” Lehigh Valley’s Student-Manufacturer Teams Are Announced Lehigh University Returns as Premier Sponsor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2026
Contact: kim@sahlcomm.com
484-554-5582 
Lehigh Valley, PA – October 7, 2026 – The 14th 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, Monroe, and Northampton counties. “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” culminates with an awards event in March 2027. The contest was created to generate excitement about manufacturing career paths while promoting CTE and STEM education.
In 14 years, the WSCM program has gained momentum and has been implemented across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 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 7000 students from across the commonwealth, 700 manufacturers, and 60% of Pennsylvania school districts have participated in WSCM since MRC launched the program in 2013.
Over the past decade, MRC created the WSCM Video Library, which now includes 1,602 student-created manufacturing profile videos. The library has become a much sought-after resource for education and economic development. True bonds formed between Lehigh Valley manufacturers and middle school students will last for decades to come!
Rich Hobbs
“The What’s So Cool About Manufacturing program has continued to expand throughout Pennsylvania and beyond, successfully driving career awareness in the manufacturing sector among students, teachers, and parents. This year’s Lehigh Vally Awards event will be held at Lehigh University’s Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center on April 1, 2027,” said Rich Hobbs, MRC President & CEO. “Lehigh’s support of the program as Premier Sponsor grows visibility for our manufactures in eastern Pennsylvania.”
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” student video contest provides 7th and 8th grade students with a unique opportunity to connect directly with local manufacturers. Students build on their curiosity and apply their 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.
Karen Buck
“Celebrating the 14th year of ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing’ is an exciting milestone and a reflection of the continued enthusiasm this contest generates across the Lehigh Valley and throughout Pennsylvania,” said Karen Buck, Director, Workforce Initiatives at MRC. “The contest provides students with an opportunity to explore manufacturing, learn about the many career paths available in the industry, and share what they discover with their peers and communities.”
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, 2027, for the Viewers Choice Award. The Lehigh Valley Awards Event is scheduled for Thursday, April 1, 2027, at Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. The Awards will be broadcast live on WFMZ-TV.
The program’s continued success and growth are attributed to the efforts of the teachers and students from the community who have participated since its inception. “The contest continues to build connections between students, educators, and manufacturers while highlighting the rewarding opportunities available right here in Pennsylvania,” Buck said. MRC and its partners eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, Inc., and EmpowerStar Enterprises, along with the many community sponsors are committed to its continued sustainability.
For its 14th year, MRC is proud to announce the following participating schools and their featured manufacturers:
|
STUDENT TEAM |
FEATURED MANUFACTURER |
|
Bangor Area Middle School |
Nordson MEDICAL |
|
Broughal Middle School |
Follett Products, LLC |
|
Catasauqua Middle School |
Victaulic |
|
Easton Area Middle School |
Sharp Clinical |
|
Harrison-Morton Middle School |
Just Born, Inc. |
|
J.T. Lambert Middle School |
BioSpectra, Inc. |
|
L.B. Morris School |
AMPAL, Inc. |
|
Lehighton Area Middle School |
TPEI |
|
Lehman Intermediate School |
All Weather Insulated Panels |
|
Lower Macungie Middle School |
Freshpet |
|
Nazareth Area Middle School |
Ocean Spray |
|
Nitschmann Middle School |
Bosch Rexroth Corporation |
|
Northampton Area Middle School |
Advanced Personalization Solutions, LLC |
|
Northeast Middle School |
B. Braun Medical Inc. |
|
Northern Lehigh Middle School |
C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. |
|
Northwestern Lehigh Middle School |
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. |
|
Orefield Middle School |
Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America, Inc. |
|
Panther Valley Jr/Sr High School |
Little Leaf Farms |
|
Penn Kidder Campus |
Architectural Polymers, LLC |
|
Raub Middle School |
Polymer Contours |
|
Salisbury Middle School |
Precision Roll Grinders |
|
Saucon Valley Middle School |
OraSure Technologies, Inc. |
|
South Mountain Middle School |
FMI |
|
Southern Lehigh Middle School |
Mack Trucks |
|
Springhouse Middle School |
Dynalene, Inc. |
|
St. Joseph the Worker School |
ATAS International, Inc. |
|
Trexler Middle School |
Primo Brands |
|
Whitehall-Coplay Middle School |
Prototek Digital Manufacturing |
|
Wind Gap Middle School |
Crayola |
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 the 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, featuring who’s who in Pennsylvania manufacturing and compiled 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 1,602 student videos featuring over 700 Pennsylvania manufacturers.
https://www.whatssocool.org/video-library/
This contest allows students 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. Original funding for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” was furnished by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED).
About Manufacturers Resource Center:
For over 35 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 and the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. MRC is dedicated to creating jobs and economic opportunities in eastern Pennsylvania’s Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.
Kim I Plyler, CEO
SahlComm
306 S New Street
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
c: 484-554-5582