The 2024-2025 What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Video Contest is Officially Underway! 🎉
We’re excited to announce the launch of our annual What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Middle School Video Contest for the 2024-2025 school year! This is our 10th year doing the program! This innovative program aims to inspire students to explore the fascinating world of manufacturing through creative video storytelling.
The program kicked off with our much-anticipated Teacher Coach Trainings, held at Mill 19 and the JARI Center. These sessions were designed to equip teachers with the tools and knowledge to guide their students through the process of creating engaging videos. Our partners from WQED joined us to share their expertise, providing invaluable tips on video production, storytelling, and editing techniques. Their insights brought a professional touch to the training, helping teachers to elevate the quality of their students’ projects.
The workshops were a great success! Seasoned teachers who have participated in the contest for several years also contributed by offering advice and mentorship to the first-time participants, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment. We can’t wait to see the amazing creativity and storytelling that will emerge from this year’s contest!
Stay tuned for updates as we continue this exciting journey to celebrate the next generation of innovators in manufacturing.
We’re also thrilled to announce this year’s exciting school and company partnerships! Each participating school has been paired with a local manufacturing company, giving students a hands-on opportunity to learn about the industry directly from the experts. These collaborations provide invaluable insights into real-world manufacturing processes, while fostering strong community connections. Below is a list of this year’s matches:
Pittsburgh CentralÂ
| School | Company |
| Allegheny Valley School District | EPD Electroincs |
| Apollo Ridge School District | Composidie |
| Baldwin-Whitehall School District | Ace Wire Spring |
| Blackhawk School District | ARDEX Americas |
| Burrell School District | Aerotech |
| Butler Area School District – TEAM 1 | Oberg Industries |
| Butler Area School District – TEAM 2 | JSP |
| Canon-McMillan School District | Kobold |
| Chartiers Houston School District | Aero Tech Designs |
| Deer Lakes School District | ZOLL |
| Freeport Area School District | Butler Technologies |
| Highlands School District | JV Manufacturing |
| Mohawk Area School District | Berner International |
| Moon Area School District | SMS Group |
| Mt. Lebanon School District | MECCO |
| New Brighton School District | Adams Manufacturing |
| Northgate School District | MEPPI |
| Norwin School District | DMI Companies |
| Woodland Hills School District | EH-Schwab |
Pittsburgh East
| School | Company |
| Brownsville Area School District | Incap Electronics |
| Connellsville School District | TSItouch |
| Franklin Regional School District- TEAM 1 | Premier Automation |
| Franklin Regional School District – TEAM 2 | General Carbide Corporation |
| Greater Johnstown School District | Lockheed Martin AeroParts |
| Indiana Area School District | Miller Fabrication |
| Monessen City School District | Intervala |
| Mt. Pleasant Area School District | Hitachi Energy |
| River Valley School District | Clark Metal Products |
| Shanksville-Stonycreek School District | ASSA Abloy |
| Somerset Area School District | Four Guys Fire Trucks |
We’re confident that these partnerships will lead to some truly inspiring and educational video projects. It’s going to be an exciting year for What’s So Cool About Manufacturing in the Pittsburgh region! Learn more about the program here.