In a race against the clock, the GUM DROP CHALLENGE requires middle school teams to build a structure using toothpicks and gum drops to support a full-size chocolate bar. The team with the tallest functioning structure wins! The winning team receives Explore lunch boxes filled with candy.

A highlight of the Explore Academy is this 20-minute challenge, which pits student teams against their classmates and other middle school participants. Our motto is that Explore's hands-on educational activities must be fun, exciting, and build awareness about the diversity of available manufacturing career options.

To celebrate National Manufacturing Day, Explore the New Manufacturing is hosting a regional Explore Academy for Mercer County middle school students to introduce them to the diverse and amazing career opportunities that help West Virginia manufacturers deliver their products to the world. 

Explore the New Manufacturing is hosting a regional Explore Academy for Cabell County middle school students to introduce them to the diverse and amazing career opportunities that help West Virginia manufacturers deliver their products to the world.

Seventh and eighth graders from Barboursville, Huntington, Huntington East, and Milton Middle School will participate in a hands-on learning event at the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center on Friday, September 15, 2023. Students will participate in three 30-minute labs to get a cool snapshot of the manufacturing process used by regional manufacturers. Various facets of manufacturing, such as operations, environmental health and safety, quality control, research and development, and other aspects, will be explored. Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center will provide all students with a tour of their facility to highlight available training and educational options. The day finishes with a 20-minute challenge to see which group of students can work effectively as a team to solve the test.

Fairmont, WV, July 6, 2023 – Explore the New Manufacturing is pleased to announce that Putnam County Technical Center (PCTC) has been named the 2023 State Champion for the Explore Manufacturing Innovation Challenge for their project with Toyota West Virginia. The company challenged the students with a robotics project designed to improve ergonomics and increase productivity on the production line. 

When asked why developing a solution is important to Toyota West Virginia, the team stated: "It was important to develop a solution that not only helps employees on the line work more efficiently, but also uses cobots to reduce repetitive motions."

Explore the New Manufacturing is pleased to announce state winners of the 2022-2023 Explore Student Video Contest. The top teams from four regional contests competed for top honors to see who produced the best 3-minute video about their manufacturing partner, their employees, and cool aspects of their company.

The top prize, WEST VIRGINIA BEST MANUFACTURING MESSAGE AWARD, was presented to Huntington Middle School for their video about Alcon Research Ltd.  The video showcases how Alcon Research helps people see brilliantly so they can live brilliantly.