Saucon Valley Middle School students won the top prize in the Lehigh Valley area What’s So Cool About Manufacturing ® video contest. The creative youngsters wowed the judges with their storytelling and special effects in a video about manufacturing at Crayola. 
The What’s So Cool About Manufacturing ® contest was created 13 years ago by the Manufacturers Resource Center. It pairs teams of students with manufacturers to produce videos 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. Thirty schools from Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, and Pike counties participated in this year’s contest.
This year’s Viewers' Choice award went to Springhouse Middle School for their program featuring Mack Trucks. More than 321,000 votes were cast.
These videos, “introduce the middle school communities to the exciting world of manufacturing,” said Karen Buck, Director of Workforce Initiatives at Manufacturers Resource Center.
Manufacturing is a leading driver of the Lehigh Valley’s economy. About 700 manufacturers collectively produce an annual output of about $9 billion, which makes up 16% of the region’s $57.3 billion Gross Domestic Product. Nationally, manufacturing makes up 11% of GDP.
The region’s location, within a day’s drive of one-third of U.S. consumers, and its skilled labor force make it attractive for companies that produce things. Lehigh Valley manufacturers produce technology, medical devices, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among other items.
What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® debuted in the Lehigh Valley in 2013. Since the contest’s inception, more than 8,000 students have partnered with 700 unique manufacturers to tell the story of manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a gold sponsor of What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®. Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Talent Strategies at LVEDC, participated in the awards 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."
The awards were presented during a ceremony before of an audience of more than 1,000 parents, educators, manufacturers, and other supporters on March 26 at Stabler Arena on Lehigh University's campus in Bethlehem. The event was livestreamed by WFMZ.
In a video message shown at the awards ceremony, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro congratulated the students.
“Together, you're telling the Pennsylvania story, how in factories and plants all across our commonwealth, Pennsylvania workers are manufacturing, processing, and packaging the products that folks and companies rely on every single day,” Shapiro said. “From the snacks in our pantries, to the semiconductors that power our phones, to the steel we use to build the bridges we drive on.”
Schools winning awards were:
Outstanding Overall Program: Saucon Valley Middle School – Crayola
Outstanding Editing: Lower Macungie Middle School – Sharp
Outstanding Creativity: Northampton Area Middle School – Polymer Contours
Outstanding Cool: East Hills Middle School – Just Born Quality Confections
Outstanding Team Spirit: Northwestern Lehigh Middle School – FMI
Outstanding Educational Value: Northeast Middle School - Ocean Spray
Outstanding Videography: Nazareth Area Middle School – B. Braun Medical, Inc.
Viewers’ Choice: Springhouse Middle School – Mack Trucks
Outstanding Outreach Plan: Lehighton Area Middle School – Ampal
Outstanding Career Pathway: J. T. Lambert Intermediate School – Weiler Abrasives Group
Best Career & Technical Education Story: Broughal Middle School – Stanley Black & Decker
Outstanding Brand Placement: Catasauqua Middle School – Bosch Rexroth
Sweet Manufacturing Cupcake Award Winner: Career Institute of Technology (Preceding the awards program for the videos, culinary arts students from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Career Institute of Technology, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute hosted a dessert reception and Cupcake Competition).
Four of Lehigh Valley’s winning middle school teams will represent the region at the annual statewide competition in May: Saucon Valley, Broughal, Springhouse, and Nazareth Area.
A school from the Lehigh Valley has won the previous four statewide competitions.
Last year, the student team at Lower Macungie Middle School in East Penn School District won first place in the state competition for their video about Crayola.
In 2024, students at Broughal Middle School in Bethlehem won first place in the statewide competition for their video about Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing.
In 2023, students at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem won first place, for their video about Stanley Black & Decker.
In 2022, students at Eyer Middle School in Macungie won first place, for their video about BlueTriton Brands.
(Top photo courtesy of Sahl Communications)