Kicking off MRC’s 10th Year of “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” 2025/26 Berks Schuylkill County Student-Manufacturer Teams

Kicking off MRC’s 10th Year of “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” 2025/26 Berks Schuylkill County Student-Manufacturer Teams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2025
Contact: kim@sahlcomm.com
484-554-5582 

Reading, PA – October 22, 2025– The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) is proud to announce the 10th year of “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” (WSCM) in Berks and Schuylkill counties where MRC promotes CTE and STEM Education in middle school communities.  This program heightens awareness for young people to be exposed to various manufacturing career paths.

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.  The contest is spearheaded by Manufacturers Resource Center. “MRC is proud to bring What’s So Cool About Manufacturing to the Berks and Schuylkill area for its 10th year” states Rich Hobbs, MRC President & CEO. “The program’s continued success and impact can be attributed to the efforts the teachers and students have put forth, along with the many partners and community sponsors committed to building a future workforce which will in turn support economic growth and expansion in the region,” he concludes.

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 statewide program is spearheaded by Manufacturers Resource Center.

Student teams from 33 Berks and Schuylkill County middle schools are partnering with 33 area manufacturers to produce their video submissions.  All videos will be posted on the “What’s So Cool” website WhatsSoCool.org, and will be open to the public for voting March 25, 2026 for the Viewers Choice Award. The Berks Schuylkill Awards Event is scheduled for April 14, 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading, PA. Partnering with MRC for the Berks Schuylkill WSCM 2026 program is Berks Business Education Coalition (BBEC), Kutztown Small Business Development Center, eMediaWorks and Sahl Communications, Inc.

This year, we are excited to announce the following participating schools and the featured manufacturers they are paired with:

“We are thrilled to kick off the 10th annual WSCM program in Berks and Schuylkill,” said Karen Buck, Director of Workforce Initiatives for MRC.  “The potential for careers in manufacturing are demonstrated first-hand by the manufacturers and the students get excited about the possibility of working in a cool, modern environment that they may never have imagined.  We encourage students to explore CTE and STEM education as they prepare for their high school years. The program creates limitless opportunities for both manufacturers and students.” 

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 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 1436 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 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.