The Explore the New Manufacturing student video contest – an affiliate of the popular What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? contest – closed its inaugural year Thursday night with the Avonworth School District capturing its Viewers Choice Award.
The Explore the New Manufacturing contest is produced by the Catalyst Connection in Pittsburgh and presents the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? contest format created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in Allentown, PA in 2013. The contests excite students to explore cool manufacturing careers and produce profiles of companies. The contest’s objective is to change students’ perceptions about manufacturing careers. A contest for Chester and Delaware counties also premiered this year.
Teams of students and teacher coaches receive camera equipment, software, and professional guidance as they learn to script, record, and edit their video stories. Judges in each regional contest bestow a variety of awards, and each contest features an online vote for its Viewers Choice Award. Online voting for all contests is held through the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? digital platform.
The Pittsburgh contest featured entries from ten teams and was presented by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the DMI companies. The year-end celebration was held Thursday at Heinz Field’s east lounge.
Avonworth topped the Viewers Choice Vote for its profile of ARDEX Engineered Cements. Avonworth also received judges’ award for Best Manufacturing Message. The contest’s Most Creative award went to the Burrell School District for its profile of TMG Electronics. Its Best Marketing Plan award went to the Mount Lebanon School District for its profile of Caterpillar.
About Catalyst Connection
Based in Pittsburgh, Catalyst Connection is an economic development organization dedicated to helping small manufacturers to improve their competitive performance. Catalyst advisors, consultants, and instructors offer training and consulting and administer financial programs that can provide funding for equipment, machinery, or capital improvements. As a nonprofit 501(c)3 firm, the organization has been supporting southwestern Pennsylvania manufacturers for more than 25 years. For more information, call 888.887.7472 or go to CatalystConnection.org.
News Story Contact
Scott Deitz, Catalyst Connection
Pittsburgh, PA, 412.918.4227
Photo from the Catalyst Connection