Students from Nazareth Area Middle School won the top award in this year’s What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® video contest for the Lehigh Valley area.
The contest, created 11 years ago by the Manufacturers Resource Center, pairs teams of students with manufacturers to produce a video showcasing the innovative technologies that are used and the products that are made in today’s manufacturing. The goal is to introduce students to careers in manufacturing. 
The Nazareth students produced a video about KB Systems Inc./Gemini Bakery Equipment Co. in Washington Township, Northampton County. It is the largest provider of specialty bread making equipment and systems in North America.
Eleven other middle schools also won awards at a ceremony attended by more than 1,200 parents, company officials, educators, and other supporters on March 26 at Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University. The event was broadcast live on WFMZ.
“As we reflect back over the last 11 years of What’s So Cool in the Lehigh Valley, it’s gratifying to see the growing talent and excitement of the students through their videos, as well as the enthusiasm from the community through voting and attendance,” said Karen Buck, Director of Workforce Initiatives at the Manufacturers Resource Center.
“This was a great contest year, and the hard work of the students, teachers, and manufacturers is really evident. Being able to broadcast the awards event live, from a larger venue here at Lehigh University allows us to amplify the students’ efforts, as well as increase our impact in raising awareness about manufacturing career opportunities,” she said.
Manufacturing is a leading driver of the Lehigh Valley’s economy. More than 700 manufacturers collectively produce an annual output of $8.1 billion, which makes up 16% of the region’s $50.2 billion Gross Domestic Product. Nationally, manufacturing makes up 12% of GDP.
The Lehigh Valley’s location, within a day’s drive of one-third of U.S. consumers, and the region’s skilled labor force, make the region attractive for companies that produce things. They make food and beverages, medical devices, technology, and consumer goods, among other items.
What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® debuted in the Lehigh Valley in 2013 and has spread statewide and been adopted in 11 other states. More than 60% of Pennsylvania’s school districts have participated in the program since its inception.
Thirty schools from Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties, and the Diocese of Allentown, participated in this year’s contest. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) is a gold sponsor of What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®. Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Regional Partnerships and Talent Strategies at LVEDC, participated in the award ceremony.
"What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® is best in class," Gelinas said. "It connects manufacturers who have the jobs, educators who teach about careers, parents who influence their children’s decisions, and students who are the future of our workforce in an engaging competition that builds awareness and excitement about careers in manufacturing, one of our top employing industries here in the Lehigh Valley."
Manufacturers Resource Center is a regional partner of LVEDC, and the video program aligns with LVEDC’s talent strategies by engaging students in career pathways exploration and influencing perceptions that students, teachers, and parents have about jobs in manufacturing.
The winning schools and the manufacturers they featured are (with Iinks to their videos):
Outstanding Overall Program: Nazareth Area Middle School – KB Systems Inc.
Outstanding Editing: Broughal Middle School – Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing
Outstanding Creativity: Lower Macungie Middle School (LMMS) – JULABO USA
Outstanding Cool: East Hills Middle School – Freshpet, Inc.
Outstanding Team Spirit: Saucon Valley Middle School – Human Active Technology
Outstanding Educational Value: Wind Gap Middle School – ABEC
Outstanding Videography: Bangor Area Middle School – C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Viewers Choice: Northampton Area Middle School – Follett Products, LLC
Outstanding Outreach Plan: Southern Lehigh Middle School – Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Outstanding Career Pathway: Northeast Middle School – Bosch Rexroth Corporation
Best Career & Technical Education Story: Lehighton Area Middle School – B.T.M. Incorporated
Outstanding Brand Placement: South Mountain Middle School – Stanley Black & Decker
Nearly 275,000 votes were cast online for the viewers choice award over three days in March.
The awards program also included a cupcake competition between the culinary arts programs from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. Career Institute of Technology was named the Sweet Manufacturing Cupcake Award Winner, with judging by Carlo’s Bakery and Northampton Community College.
The teams from Nazareth Area, Broughal, Bangor, and Northampton Area middle schools will proceed to the state competition of What’s So Cool About Manufacturing in May. Last year, a video by students at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem won first place in the statewide competition.
The judges for the video competition were: The Production Team at ASR Media Productions; Lisa Robinson, Emmy Award winning editor; and Dr. Zilong Pan of Lehigh University College of Education.
Educational media resources, GoPro Camera kits, professional media training, materials, and project costs were funded and made possible by the following sponsors:
Leadership Sponsors: Air Products, Lehigh University, Workforce Board Lehigh Valley
Event Sponsors: ATAS International, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., PPL Electric Utilities
Platinum Sponsors: ABEC, BlueTriton Brands, B. Braun Medical Inc., CliftonLarsonAllen, Crayola, Embassy Bank, Follett Products LLC, Pocono Counties Workforce Development Area, Solar Technology Inc., Stanley Black & Decker, Univest Financial
Networking Sponsor: Banyan Partners
Gold Sponsors: Aerotek, Fulton Bank, Gross McGinley, LLP, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, Lehigh Valley Plastics, M&T Bank, Mack Trucks, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., PNC, Precision Roll Grinders, Sharp Packaging, Victaulic
Silver Sponsors: Allied Personnel, Bosch Rexroth Corporation, C.F. Martin & Co., Dynalene, Eastern Surfaces, FMI, Fromm Electric, HindlePower, HMK Insurance, JULABO USA, Just Born Quality Confections, Kitchen Magic, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh County, Northampton Community College, Penn State University Lehigh Valley Campus, Piramal Critical Care Inc, Prototek, PSECU
Bronze Sponsors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, Career Institute of Technology, County of Northampton, DaVinci Science Center, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, National Museum of Industrial History
Media Sponsors: 99.9 The Hawk, Adams Outdoor Advertising, Lehigh Valley Business Journal, WDIY, WFMZ 69 News
(Photo of Nazareth Area Middle School team courtesy of Sahl Communications, Inc.)