For the fifth consecutive year, a middle school in the Lehigh Valley has won the top prize in the statewide What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® video competition. 
The student team at Nazareth Area Middle School won first place for their video about B. Braun Medical, Inc., a medical technology company.
Saucon Valley Middle School was awarded second place for its video spotlighting Crayola.
Springhouse Middle School received the Statewide Viewers’ Choice recognition for its video featuring Mack Trucks.
“The continued success of the What’s So Cool program validates its effort to generate excitement toward careers in the manufacturing sector and to promote STEM education and technical training among students and parents,” said Karen Buck, Director of Workforce Initiatives at Manufacturers Resource Center. “We are so excited and proud to celebrate the Best of PA 2026 student teams and highlight their videos.”
Manufacturers Resource Center started the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® contest 13 years ago in the Lehigh Valley to introduce students to modern manufacturing through peer-to-peer storytelling. The contest pairs teams of students with area manufacturers to produce videos that showcase today’s advanced manufacturing. The contest has since grown statewide.
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 state competition occurred May 13 in Harrisburg, with 22 student teams from across the Commonwealth competing for statewide honors after advancing through regional contests. A panel of three judges reviewed the 22 statewide finalists, which represented 13 regional contests and a total of 166 student videos produced during the 2025-26 contest season.
For the Lehigh Valley schools recognized this year, the awards represent more than competition results — they reflect growing student engagement with the region’s manufacturers and the diverse career opportunities available in one of the region’s largest sectors.
In 2025, Lower Macungie Middle School won first place for their video about Crayola.
In 2024, students at Broughal Middle School in Bethlehem won first place, 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.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) is a sponsor of What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®. 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.
(Photo courtesy of Sahl Communications)