28-01-2025
Tamaqua Area students ‘manufacturing' skills
TAMAQUA, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The manufacturing industry is considered a vital engine of economic growth here in the US, Yet many young people may not understand the impact those jobs have.
Some local students are quickly learning, thanks to a statewide contest.
It's a roll call of sorts for nine Tamaqua Area Middle School Students. They are participating in an annual contest called 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing.'
Tamaqua Area is among 31 middle schools in the Berks, Schuylkill region tasked with producing a two-and-a-half minute student-made videos to showcase manufacturing companies and related careers.
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'What is so cool about manufacturing? I think and also a lot of people that we interviewed said the same thing: Seeing things on how they first started from quite literally nothing, to seeing the final product,' said Adrianna Hernandez, 8th grader, Tamaqua Area Middle School.
Contest organizers assign the schools a manufacturing company to profile.
For the Tamaqua Area, it's the aerospace company Hexcel Corporation in St. Clair.
'It's really nice to get to actually go to the place, actually hear it from the people, get a real-life experience of it,' said Tamaqua Area Middle School seventh-grader Makayla Elston.
The young group took on roles including camera operator, interviewer, and editor.
'This has been a very fun and exciting experience. I mean, getting to go to that manufacturer and seeing all of them be so passionate about the work that they're doing,' said Elston.
Tamaqua Area math teacher Megan Frantz serves as her school's contest coach.
'This is truly, truly a student-led project,' said Frantz.
'They're learning on their own. I'm not telling them how to make their video. They're learning what they have to do to create the video,' continued Frantz.
Tamaqua Area has participated in 'What's so Cool About Manufacturing' for 10 years, winning multiple awards, including the coveted Viewer's Choice.
While they hope to win again, these students can walk away, knowing that together they can achieve.
'We can all have different ideas, but somehow find a way to get them all to work somehow,' said Troy Hartman, an eighth grader from Tamaqua Area Middle School.
'We are a very good group, and we work very well together, so I think that's what makes us stand out,' said Hernandez.
Online voting for the 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing' contest is open March 17 to March 19 at What's So Cool About Manufacturing.
If you know someone you believe would make a good 'Here's to You Kid' candidate, let us know at NEPA Children First.
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