2020. Pandemic. Shutdowns. School closures. Last January, if someone would have suggested that a pandemic would strike, halting all in-person activities and yet the Explore Program would cap the year in a stronger position than when 2020 began, I would have said, "Of course, we will." Truly, what other options are there? Manufacturers need skilled workers, and our state's young folks need the hope that job opportunities await. Regardless of the circumstances 2020 presented, the alternative of not following through was simply not acceptable.

Explore the New Manufacturing's Manufacturing Days Virtual Lab Series started off with a smash hit, thanks to Fiesta Tableware! This and other manufacturer-hosted virtual labs were developed for blended, distance, or remote learning formats.

Interested middle school educators can receive video content for each lab, plus the following:

• Pre-lab Guess the Manufacturer Contest
• Student lab worksheet
• Student lab experiment (Fiesta Tableware lab focused on tensile strength)
• Bonus learning contest, the WV Made Scavenger Hunt which features Made with West Virginia Pride videos.

The series builds career literacy and is designed to meet WV Department of Education STEM based curriculum standards.

Virgin Hyperloop's recent announcement that construction will soon begin on its 800-acre certification center in Grant and Hardy counties has created much excitement across the Mountain State. Additionally, the latest newsthat DST Innovations and Blue Rock Manufacturing have agreed to establish a new Morgantown-based facility for developing energy cells, with a second phase expansion for southern WV, is a promising message about forthcoming job opportunities in the state. However, these are not the only new businesses to make commitments in 2020 to planting their roots in West Virginia. As facility construction begins, it serves as a reminder that erecting educational pathways, so our workforce is ready when the doors open, is critical to long-term sustainability.

We’re working together to help students explore the exciting careers available in West Virginia’s manufacturing industry.

NEW THIS FALL

The Explore team is extremely excited to introduce the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge to West Virginia.  Using problem-solving skills, high school teams work to solve a real-world challenge issued by a regional manufacturer. 

The challenge provides benefits for both manufacturers and students.

During National Manufacturing Month, as we continue forging ahead through the unprecedented reopening of schools this fall, we are excited about developing virtual connectivity between industry and education so that earlier efforts are not lost. We anticipate the new virtual platforms will expand outreach efforts to more areas around the state. Launching this month, Manufacturing Day Virtual Labs will feature manufacturers demonstrating processes and interactive labs for remote learning application. Both the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge and the What's So Cool About Manufacturing? Student video contest will be modified virtually for the coming year. We have also established an Educator's Roundtable to assist with evaluating programming strategies and program feedback. When possible, we plan to reintroduce our in-person programming while utilizing these new virtual formats to fill gaps where it is logistically hard to offer in-school events.