ABOUT THE CONTESTS

The annual What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? video contests excite students to explore cool manufacturing careers and produce profiles of companies throughout Pennsylvania. Judges in each regional contest bestow a variety of awards, and each contest features an online vote at WhatsSoCool.org for its Viewers Choice Award.
 

 
Created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in Allentown, PA in 2013, the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? contests draw entries from teams across Pennsylvania. The teams of students and teacher coaches receive camera equipment, software, and professional guidance as they learn to script, record, and edit their video stories. The contest’s objective is to change students’ perceptions about manufacturing careers.

The What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? contests are supported regionally by their sponsors and partners. Production support is provided for several of the contests by PBS39 Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA. There are 15 regional contests scheduled in Pennsylvania for the 2018-2019 school year. The contest format also has been adopted by groups in 11 additional states.

CREATION OF THE CONTESTS

Funds to develop the contests were provided in 2013 by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development’s “Discovered in PA, Developed in PA” program for an MRC project called Lehigh Valley Skill-Up. Original Skill-Up project partners were the MRC, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI), the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board, and the Da Vinci Science Center.

2019 REGIONAL CONTESTS

CENTRAL SUSQUEHANNA

Contest Managers: Tanya Dynda, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, Milton, PA, 570.523.1155, Ext. 2234
Lauri Moon, Innovative Manufacturers’ Center, Williamsport, PA, 570.329.3200, Ext. 8085

NORTH CENTRAL PA

Contest Manager: Pam Streich
North Central Workforce Development Board, Ridgway, PA
814.245.1835

PHILADELPHIA

Contest Manager: Bow Lewis
Manufacturing Alliance of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
215.948.9285

PITTSBURGH NORTH

Contest Manager: Scott Deitz
Catalyst Connection, Pittsburgh, PA
412.918.4227

WEST CENTRAL PA

Contest Manager: Laurie Knoll
Northwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Erie, PA
814.217.6066