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Voting Opens for Colorado’s First What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” Student Video Competition

 

Community invited to support middle school teams and celebrate manufacturing innovation across Colorado

 

Denver, CO – April 7, 2026 – Manufacturer’s Edge is excited to announce that public voting is now open for Colorado’s inaugural What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® (WSCM) student video competition, giving communities across the state the chance to support local students and help spotlight the creativity, technology, and career opportunities found in modern manufacturing.

 

From April 7, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. through April 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., the public is invited to watch and vote for their favorite student-produced videos created through the Colorado Manufacturing Network’s first-ever WSCM program.

Over the past several months, six middle school student teams from across the Denver Metro region have partnered with local manufacturers to go behind the scenes of Colorado’s manufacturing sector. Through hands-on learning, media production, and teamwork, students created short videos that showcase the people, processes, technologies, and career pathways that make manufacturing such a vital part of Colorado’s economy.

“This is the moment when the community gets to see what these students have worked so hard to create,” said Rob Newbold, Vice President of Client Success at Manufacturer’s Edge and Colorado’s WSCM contest lead. “They’ve stepped into real manufacturing environments, asked thoughtful questions, and told stories that are creative, insightful, and genuinely impressive. Public voting gives students the chance to share that work in a bigger way and helps more people see just how exciting and relevant manufacturing can be.”

The competition was designed to build early awareness of manufacturing careers while connecting students, educators, families, and employers through a real-world, project-based learning experience. At a time when workforce development remains a top priority across the state, programs like WSCM help students see that manufacturing is not only innovative and high-tech, but full of meaningful opportunities for the future.

“What makes this program so powerful is that it doesn’t just tell students about manufacturing, it lets them experience it,” said Glenn Plagens, CEO of Manufacturer’s Edge. “Now, with voting open, the broader community gets to join in and celebrate the creativity of these students and the incredible companies that opened their doors to them. This is exactly the kind of visibility and momentum we need to strengthen Colorado’s future workforce.”

Participating Colorado Schools and Manufacturers

The inaugural Colorado WSCM program features the following student-manufacturer teams:

Public voting will help determine one of the program’s featured honors as student teams compete for recognition in three award categories. Winners will be announced at the Colorado What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® Awards Event on April 23, 2026, where students, educators, manufacturers, and community supporters will come together to celebrate the program’s first year in Colorado.

This inaugural Colorado pilot is made possible through the generous support of BlueForge Alliance, whose investment has helped launch the program statewide and expand early awareness of manufacturing career pathways for Colorado students.

As the program grows, Colorado-produced videos will become part of the national What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® Video Library, serving as a long-term educational resource for classrooms, workforce programs, and communities statewide.

For more information and to vote, visit: https://www.whatssocool.org/contests/colorado/

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About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®”

Developed by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), the WSCM program is a video-based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths and technology in manufacturing through “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 has expanded across the Commonwealth and the country.

The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” comprehensive manufacturing video library was created by MRC and WSCM PA in 2020 and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED). The interactive library of the who’s who in Pennsylvania manufacturing, garnered from the yearly regional contests, is intended to serve as an educational resource for anyone curious about manufacturing in Pennsylvania. The library can be accessed through the WhatsSoCool.org website and contains almost 1436 student videos featuring over 700 Pennsylvania manufacturers.

https://www.whatssocool.org/video-library/

This contest allows students 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. Original funding for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” was furnished by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED)

About Manufacturer’s Edge

As Colorado’s official Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center, Manufacturer’s Edge provides onsite support, strategy, planning, training, and technical assistance to manufacturers of all sizes. Colorado’s unique manufacturing landscape has given them experience across industries. Their clients drive technology development, creativity, and new products, and they work closely with them to make sure their work reaches its intended audience. Local insights, diverse experience, and true dedication to providing manufacturers support – use the support they provide to empower your decisions as you continue to grow and improve the manufacturing landscape.