“What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” Sponsors
Continue Support for 10th Annual Contest
Lehigh Valley Video Contest Celebrates Decade of Growth, Recognition,
and Raising Awareness of PA Manufacturing Careers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: kim@sahlcomm.com
484-554-5582
Lehigh Valley, PA – February 8, 2023 – Celebrating 10 years in the Lehigh Valley, the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® Student Video Contest welcomes 33 manufacturers and middle school teams from Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton counties. Since its inception, this local contest format, created by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) here in the Lehigh Valley, has been replicated by sixteen regional contests, and adopted by stakeholders in 11 additional states. Top state officials like outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf have recognized the program, and dozens of sponsors continue to support “What’s So Cool,” making it possible year after year.
The program’s goal is to increase students’ awareness of STEM and manufacturing career paths by showcasing “What’s So Cool” about today’s technology, career opportunities, and working right here in Pennsylvania through two-minute videos produced by each student team. 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 1-3, 2023 for the Viewers Choice Award. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students toward considering manufacturing career paths to create a 21st century workforce.
Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) is proud to announce the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® 10th Anniversary Lehigh Valley Awards Show at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem will be broadcast live on WFMZ-TV on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, and 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, project partners eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, Inc., and EmpowerStar Enterprises, and community sponsors are committed to its sustainability.
Educational media resources, GoPro Camera kits, professional media training, materials, and project costs were funded and made possible by the following:
Leadership Sponsors: Air Products and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley
Technology Sponsor: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Website Sponsor: Hammer Marketing
Platinum Sponsors: ABEC, ATAS International, B. Braun Medical Inc., Embassy Bank, Follett Products LLC, J.G. Petrucci Company, Inc., Stanley Black & Decker, and Univest Financial
Networking Sponsor: Banyan Partners
Gold Sponsors: Aerotek, Crayola, Fulton Bank, Gross McGinley, LLP, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lehigh University, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Valley Plastics, Members 1st, M&T Bank, Mack Trucks, Mid Penn Bank, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., OraSure Technologies, Inc., and PNC
Silver Sponsors: Bosch Rexroth Corporation, Eastern Surfaces, Equinox Benefits Consulting, Fidelity Bank, Fromm Electric, HindlePower, Inc., HMK Insurance, JULABO USA, Just Born Quality Confections, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh County, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, Northampton Community College, Precision Roll Grinders, ProtoCAM, and Victaulic
Bronze Sponsors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, Career Institute of Technology, Just Born Quality Confections, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, National Museum of Industrial History, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, and U.S. Anodize
Media Sponsors: 99.9 The Hawk, Adams Outdoor Advertising, Lehigh Valley Business Journal, LehighValleyNews.com, WDIY, and WFMZ 69 News
Cupcake Competitors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute
Cupcake Judges: Carlo’s Bakery, Lehigh University and Factory LLC
Visit WhatsSoCool.org for more information and resources, and follow on social media @wscmlv.
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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 1000 student videos featuring over 500 Pennsylvania manufacturers.
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 33 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. Learn more at www.mrcpa.org.
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Kim I Plyler, CEO
SahlComm
+1 484-554-5582
kim@sahlcomm.com