Several Tamaqua Area Middle School students spoke to the school board about this year’s “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” video contest and asked for their support.

Eighth grader Addison Navitsky and seventh graders Chayse Barron and Jackson Koneschusky talked to the board about the contest, in which they researched and produced a video about a local manufacturer.

The competition is sponsored by the Manufacturers Resource Center in Allentown. Tamaqua competes in the Berks Schuylkill division.

This year, the students worked with Northeast Prestressed Products LLC in Cressona, which makes concrete beams and bridges.

Students learned about the manufacturing process and researched, produced, edited and marketed a video on what Northeast Prestressed does.

Online voting for the video takes place March 25, 26 and 27, and the students asked the board and community to vote for them as many times as they can during that time frame to secure the Viewers Choice award.

People can vote on the website www.whatssocool.org, and look for the Berks Schuylkill contest under 2026 Contests. Students also gave board members cards with QR codes to access voting.

This is the district’s 10th year participating, said Megan Frantz, video coach.

“We would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in this project,” she told the board. “It’s a worthwhile project. It teaches the students that are involved, as well as everyone who views the video, more about the manufacturing field.”

The students also learn team skills, as well as learning how to create, edit and market a video, Frantz said.

For the 10th anniversary year, Frantz reached out to alumni who had participated and had a Zoom meeting with 17 alumni joining in, she said. There were students from each of the 10 years, and they created an anniversary video.

Frantz hopes that the district’s video will be presented at the awards ceremony April 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading.

“Even if they don’t show it, I had a great time doing it and being able to see all those students again,” Frantz said.