Central Susquehanna Region Expands the Popular Contest in Five New PA Counties
Williamsport, PA – March 3, 2020 – The Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC) is proud to announce sponsors for the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” (WSCM) Central Susquehanna student video contest for their inaugural year as one of 16 regional contests across Pennsylvania in the 2019-2020 school year.
The WSCM student video contest pairs student-teams in Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties with local manufacturers, providing a unique opportunity to learn what makes modern manufacturing cool while producing a video that documents their experience. The program was created to generate excitement that draws students to consider manufacturing career paths.
“Introducing this program to the students, the school districts and the manufacturers in our region is exciting” said Dan Manetta, Executive Director/CEO IMC. “We are grateful for the sponsorship that is helping us highlight the importance of STEM education and the employment opportunities that exist in manufacturing to our students and communities while also validating the hard work the students are putting into this program.”
The students’ videos will compete in the regional contest, culminating with public voting for Viewers Choice and an awards show April 2, 2020. WSCM Central Susquehanna will choose one video to represent the region in the 3rd Annual “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” PA Statewide Awards on April 29, 2020 in Harrisburg.
Partnering with Innovative Manufacturers’ Center, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit and The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce for the project are eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, Inc. and EmpowerStar Marketing. Educational media resources, GoPro Camera kits, professional media training from eMediaWorks, materials, and project costs were funded and made possible by the following: Red Carpet Sponsors; eMediaWorks, EmpowerStar Marketing, Manufacturers Resource Center and Sahl Communications, Inc. Spotlight Sponsors; RETTEW, Commercial Stainless, Inc. and Overhead Door Corporation. Special Contribution; First Columbia Bank & Trust.
This program is funded, in part, by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Manufacturing to Training Career Grant program.
Voting for the inaugural “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Student Videos will be available March 23-25, on the What’s So Cool website, WhatsSoCool.org.
Visit WhatsSoCool.org for more information and resources and follow on Facebook.com/WSCMCenSusq.
About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing”:
Developed by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), WSCM program is a video based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths in manufacturing. MRC developed this innovative career awareness program that at its core is “peer marketing” (kids telling kids what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs). The contest is showcased on the What’s So Cool Website, and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms. The Lehigh Valley contest is expanding across the Commonwealth and the country. Inside Pennsylvania there will be 16 regions conducting contests this year.
This contest gives students the opportunity to connect with local manufacturers, document their experiences and present them in an educational and “cool” way. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths, and CTE and STEM education.
About Innovative Manufacturer’s Center
Founded in 1988, the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center assists in connecting manufacturers in 12 Pennsylvania counties with the most effective regional, state and national resources to help companies innovate, grow and prosper. An affiliate of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, IMC is one of seven industrial resource centers in Pennsylvania and serves manufacturers in Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Union, Snyder, Clinton, Centre, Mifflin, Juniata, Huntington, Blair and Bedford Counties.
About Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit
The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) is a regional education service agency that prides itself on serving the needs of schools, students, families and communities. CSIU’s many programs and services reflect our mission to provide quality education services that help students learn, support teachers in bringing best practices to the classroom, and offer valuable services to school districts. The CSIU’s primary service area consists of Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties in central Pennsylvania which includes 17 school districts, 3 career and technical centers, and 69 nonpublic schools.
About The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce
Since its inception in 1996, The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce has evolved, remaining focused on goals which can be summed up in its mission statement: “Working together, the educators and employers of Columbia and Montour counties will ensure that lifelong learners obtain the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century workplace.” Through The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, educators and employers in Columbia and Montour counties work together to provide educational opportunities for the purpose of workforce development. Our educational programs focus on K-12 students as well as continuing education for adults.
