Online voting opens March 17 for the 12th 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. This year’s competition includes teams from 29 schools.
Voting begins at 12:01 a.m. March 17 and ends at 11:59 p.m. March 19, 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 be reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in 10 other categories, with all winners recognized at an awards ceremony March 26 at Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center in Bethlehem.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 12th year of What’s So Cool with the Lehigh Valley community at our annual awards event,” said Rich Hobbs, President & CEO of Manufacturers Resource Center. “While we anticipate a record-breaking voting response, 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 $9 billion, which makes up 16% of the region’s $55.7 billion Gross Domestic Product. Nationally, manufacturing makes up 12% of GDP.
The Lehigh Valley ranks among the top 15% of manufacturing markets in the nation.
The Lehigh Valley’s location, within a day’s drive of one-third of U.S. consumers, and its 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 other states. More than 60% of Pennsylvania’s school districts have participated in the program since its inception.
Last year, the student team 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.
The schools and manufacturers participating in this year’s competition are:
Bangor Area Middle School/ABEC
Broughal Middle School/Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Catasauqua Middle School/ARCH Medical Solutions
East Hills Middle School/Tyber Medical
Harrison-Morton Middle School/C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
L.B. Morris School/B.T.M. Incorporated
Lehighton Area Middle School/Blue Ridge Pressure Castings
Lower Macungie Middle School/Crayola
Nazareth Middle School/Freshpet, Inc.
Nitschmann Middle School/Solar Technology, Inc.
Northampton Area Middle School/Victaulic
Northeast Middle School/Sumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America, Inc.
Northern Lehigh Middle School/Precision Roll Grinders
Northwestern Lehigh Middle School/Bosch Rexroth Corporation
Orefield Middle School/SunOpta
Palmerton Area Junior High School/TPEI
Panther Valley Junior Senior High School/Hydra-Tech Pumps
Penn-Kidder Campus/AMPAL, Inc.
Raub Middle School/Piramal Critical Care, Inc.
Salisbury Middle School/Polymer Contours, Inc.
Saucon Valley Middle School/Allen Organ Company
South Mountain Middle School/Just Born Quality Confections
Southern Lehigh Middle School/Amcor Rigid Plastics
Springhouse Middle School/B. Braun Medical, Inc.
St. Anne School/ATAS International, Inc.
Trexler Middle School/Stanley Black & Decker
Weatherly Area Middle School/Highwood USA
Whitehall-Coplay Middle School/Ocean Spray
Wind Gap Middle School/FMI