Young filmmakers from five area schools receiving “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing in Oklahoma” Media
Sponsored by MidAmerica Industrial Park. David Stewart, Executive Director far right top row.
RSU Public TV’s inaugural “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing in Oklahoma” awards event was February 20 on the RSU Campus in Pryor, celebrating the work of students from five regional high schools.
Over the past four months, students from Salina, Locust Grove, Pryor, Inola and Adair High Schools have worked hard to produce a series of video shorts showcasing real people in real 21st century manufacturing careers found in the MidAmerica Industrial Park, Mayes County. Students were excited to go inside some of the Park’s top industries while producing the profiles that feature both the employees and the companies.
This project is supported by MidAmerica Industrial Park with partners Grand River Dam Authority, HEMSAW, American Castings, RAE CORP and Dupont.
David Stewart, chief administrative officer of MidAmerica Industrial Park says, “Our objective for this project is to result in a student-produced narrative about hometown manufacturing jobs that speaks to peers, teachers, parents and the greater community in an honest and informative voice.”
Stewart goes on to say, “The ultimate goal being to destigmatize manufacturing jobs – adjust a prevailing and erroneous attitude by providing a first-hand, insider perspective of the value of work and opportunities in the Park.”
RSU TV provided the media training for the teachers at each school. Student Kaleb Levings, a senior from Inola Public Schools said, “I really enjoyed the process of film making. I was not aware of the different jobs available inside the park with all of the companies. My team and I really worked hard on telling the story of what it’s like to work at and for Dupont.”
In April RSU TV will air the video shorts on its channel 35.1 and on the station’s digital platforms. Royal Aills, general manager at RSU TV says they will also ask each student to share the videos on their personal social platforms to create a peer to peer marketing strategy.
Aills says, “RSU TV is happy to be the driver of this new exciting program and wants to be a solutions provider for the ever-growing workforce needs. Since Public TV is educational based, engaging with students will generate excitement that draws students towards many manufacturing career paths, technical training and STEM education. We will ask the students to share their videos with each other creating a peer-to-peer marketing strategy that will create awareness of opportunities for students who want to find a job. Its simply students telling students what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs. That’s what gets me excited!”
Watch the videos the students produced.
For more information about this program or how your company can be a sponsor, please contact RSU Public TV at 918-343-7657.