Philadelphia region ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing’ student video contest winners named

Winners include Upper Merion’s Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School

The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center recently announced the winners of the 2024 “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” awards for the Philadelphia region. The annual event highlights the creativity of middle school students as they learn more about the world of manufacturing.

The What’s So Cool About Manufacturing competition pairs middle school student teams in 12 regions across Pennsylvania with manufacturers — to create engaging videos that showcase the “cool” aspects of their partner company’s manufacturing process.

The contest for the Philadelphia region — which includes Montgomery County — is produced by the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center. This year, teams from 10 schools were matched with manufacturers to produce their video submissions.

Five awards were presented for the Philadelphia region on March 21 during a ceremony at Normandy Hotel and Conference Center in Blue Bell. The 2024 award winners include:

• Best Educational Value: Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School in Upper Merion, which was paired with Ehmke Manufacturing Co.

• Best Videography: Unami Middle School in Chalfont, Bucks County, which was paired with Lampire Biological Laboratories.

• Outstanding Creativity: Tamanend Middle School in Warrington, Bucks County, which was paired with Polysciences.

• Viewer’s Choice: Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Penndel, Bucks County, which was paired with C & L Rivet

• Outstanding Overall: Neil A. Armstrong Middle School in Fairless Hills, Bucks County, which was aired with Spike’s Trophies.

Neil A. Armstrong Middle School will represent the Philadelphia region in the upcoming state-wide competition, being held in May, once all the regional competitions are completed.

“This competition not only highlights the innovation within our manufacturing community but also ignites a passion for manufacturing in our future manufacturing talent. Seeing the creativity and effort these students put into their projects is truly inspiring,” Hannah McGarry, DVIRC’s director of workforce engagement, said in a statement.

The event also recognized the contributions of other Philadelphia region participating schools, including East Norriton Middle School (Montgomery County), Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic (Bucks County), and Charles Boehm Middle School (Bucks County).

“The creativity and enthusiasm for manufacturing that we’ve seen in this competition is exactly what we envision for the future of the industry in our region. It aligns with DVIRC’s 2030 Manufacturing Moonshot, aiming to make Southeastern Pennsylvania a beacon for manufacturing innovation and excellence,” Chris Scafario, president & CEO of DVIRC, said in a statement. “By fostering a new generation’s interest in manufacturing, we’re laying the groundwork for a thriving regional economy and setting the stage for an American Manufacturing Renaissance.”

In Chester and Delaware counties, the 2024 “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” Student Video Contest is produced by the Manufacturing Alliance of Chester and Delaware Counties. This year, teams from nine schools were matched with manufacturers to produce their video submissions.

The winner will be announced during the Chester Delaware awards event, scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, at Penn State Great Valley in Malvern.

Voting still open for Berks Schuylkill awards

Meanwhile, all of the Berks and Schuylkill videos are posted on the “What’s So Cool” website https://www.whatssocool.org/contests/berks-schuylkill/, and voting, which opened on Monday, is open to the public through Wednesday, April 10.

The winners will be announced during the Berks Schuylkill Awards event, scheduled for April 15, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Reading.

In Berks and Schuylkill counties, the 2024 “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” Student Video Contest is marking its eighth year and is produced by the Manufacturers Resource Center. This year, teams from 26 Berks and Schuylkill schools have been matched with manufacturers to produce their video submissions.

Originally developed in 2013 by the Manufacturers Resource Center for students in the Lehigh Valley, the video-based educational tool provides seventh and eighthgrade students with a unique opportunity to connect directly with local manufacturers as they develop, shoot, edit and produce a “cool” video to document their experiences.

Since its inception, the contest has garnered more than 4 million combined votes by the public during regional online voting. According to the Manufacturers Resource Center, more than 60% of school districts in Pennsylvania have participated in the program.