The Manufacturers Resource Center announces “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” student video contest has begun its fifth year in Berks and Schuylkill counties.

The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” comprehensive manufacturing video library, presented by WSCM PA and sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development is a library of the who’s who in Pennsylvania manufacturing. The library can be accessed through the WhatsSoCool.org website and contains over 800 manufacturing videos.

The student video contest provides middle school students a unique opportunity to connect directly with local manufacturers as they use their curiosity and creativity to research, develop, edit and produce a “cool” video to document their experiences. The contest, spearheaded by Manufacturers Resource Center, was created to generate excitement that draws students to consider manufacturing career paths and technical education. Student teams will partner with manufacturers for the virtual streamlined 2021 program throughout Pennsylvania this year and culminate in April with online public voting and virtual Awards Events.

In Berks and Schuylkill counties, 21 middle school teams representing 19 school districts are partnered with selected manufacturers to produce their video submissions, which will be posted on the “What’s So Cool” website WhatsSoCool.org, and will be open to the public for voting in mid-April 2021 to compete for the Viewers Choice Award. The program’s continued success and growth can be attributed to the efforts put forth by MRC and its partners Berks Business Education Coalition, eMediaWorks and Sahl Communications Inc. and the middle school teachers and students in the community.

Local teams include Mahanoy Area Middle School, partnered with Cardinal Systems Inc. and Tamaqua Area Middle School, partnered with Ashland Technologies Inc.