Online voting opens March 13 for the 11th annual What’s So Cool About Manufacturing student video contest.
Middle school students from Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties and from the Diocese of Allentown are competing in the program, which was developed by the Manufacturers Resource Center to increase awareness of careers in manufacturing. 
Student teams are paired with manufacturers and produce a video showcasing the innovative technologies that are used and the products that are made.
Voting begins at 12:01 a.m. on March 13 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on March 15, on the program’s website, here, for the "Viewers Choice Award." Voting is open to the public and contest participants, who may vote for more than one video and as often as they like.
The videos will also be reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in 11 other categories, including Outstanding Career Pathway, Outstanding Editing, and Outstanding Creativity.
This year’s competition includes teams from 30 schools. Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony on March 26 at Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center in Bethlehem. The event will be broadcast live on WFMZ-TV, Channel 69, and is sponsored by WFMZ, Air Products, and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 11th year of What’s So Cool with the Lehigh Valley community at our annual awards event,” said Rich Hobbs, President & CEO at the Manufacturers Resource Center. “While we look forward to the public joining the online voting campaign, what we love seeing most is the hard work and collaboration between the students, teachers, and manufacturers, as well as the impact of sharing their message about manufacturing opportunities right here in our region."
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.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a Gold Sponsor of What’s So Cool About Manufacturing, which debuted in the Lehigh Valley in 2013 and has spread statewide and been adopted in 12 other states. More than 60% of Pennsylvania’s school districts have participated in the program since its inception.
Last year, a video by students at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem won first place in the statewide competition.
Those students created a video about Stanley Black & Decker’s facility in Upper Macungie Township that produces custom storage cabinets and toolboxes that are used in many settings, including by mechanics, the Navy, and aircraft and other industrial manufacturers.
The schools and manufacturers participating in this year’s competition are:
Bangor Area Middle School/C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Broughal Middle School/Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing
Catasauqua Middle School/Kitchen Magic
East Hills Middle School/Freshpet, Inc.
Easton Area Middle School/Crayola
Eyer Middle School/Mancor PA, Inc.
Harrison-Morton Middle School/Lehigh Valley Plastics
L.B. Morris School/TPEI
Lehighton Area Middle School/B.T.M., Inc.
Lower Macungie Middle School/JULABO USA
Nazareth Middle School/KB Systems, Inc.
Nitschmann Middle School/BlueTriton Brands
Northampton Area Middle School/Follett Products, LLC
Northeast Middle School/Bosch Rexroth Corp.
Northern Lehigh Middle School/B. Braun Medical, Inc.
Northwestern Lehigh Middle School/Prototek
Orefield Middle School/Just Born Quality Confections
Palmerton Area Junior High School/Nestle Purina Pet Care
Panther Valley Junior Senior High School/Bulldog OEM Services, Inc.
Raub Middle School/Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Salisbury Middle School/Victaulic
Saucon Valley Middle School/Human Active Technology
Southern Lehigh Middle School/Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
St. Anne School/ATAS International, Inc.
South Mountain Middle School/Stanley Black & Decker
Springhouse Middle School/FMI
Trexler Middle School/Precision Roll Grinders
Weatherly Area Middle School/Weatherly Casting & Machine Co., LLC
Whitehall-Coplay Middle School/ARCH Medical Solutions
Wind Gap Middle School/ABEC
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
Cupcake Competitors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute
Cupcake Judges: Carlo’s Bakery, Northampton Community College Hartzell Hall