Statewide Industry Tours & Events Planned for 2015 Manufacturing Day/Month

Manufacturing Day is set to make a prominent mark in state and national headlines, with Florida once again poised to take the lead in

organizing and hosting Manufacturing Day/Month events in the country. Starting October 1, 2015, students, parents, teachers are set to tour high-tech industry sites across Florida as part of “Made in Florida” industry tours for 2015 Manufacturing Day/Month. Counties across the state are also set to issue proclamations marking October 1 & 2 as the official kick-off dates for 2015 Manufacturing Day/Month. Additionally, several colleges and manufacturers will be hosting open houses on site, with screening of the “Made in Florida” video and other statewide events planned to celebrate manufacturing across Florida. Indeed Manufacturing Day/Month is sure to impact Florida in a big way!

This year FLATE and its statewide partners, that include the Manufacturers Association of Florida, Florida TRADE and Regional Manufacturers Associations, are taking the lead in hosting Manufacturing Day/Month events. FLATE’s manufacturing day strategy and cohesive partnerships with regional organizations across the state have successfully helped build an effective model that has made a positive impact on a state/national level. It has enabled greater involvement and statewide participation, and has empowered regional manufacturers associations to take a leading role in implementing a customized, regional strategy for manufacturing day/month. It has also helped strengthen industry-education ties that are a critical component in enhancing workforce education on a statewide level.

2015 sets a new precedent for Florida in once again assuming a leading role in the sheer volume and statewide participation in hosting manufacturing day/month events. Outlined below is an in-depth list of industry tours that have been finalized so far, with many regions still in the process of setting up their “Made in Florida” tours for Manufacturing Day/Month. FLATE will be updating this list on the new Manufacturing Day website at www.mfgday-fl.com and on the Made in Florida site at http://madeinflorida.org/manufacturing-day. So stay tuned about news and updates on tours and events in your region!

Following up on the successful model that FLATE has established over the years, FLATE will once again take the lead in surveying statewide industry hosts, educators and students who participate in this year’s “Made in Florida” industry tours for 2015 Manufacturing Day/Month. Post event surveys will be tabulated by FLATE and shared with statewide partners and stakeholders. FLATE will also help connect regional groups together, and will design/distribute shirts, provide educator resources, write/publish/distribute and report on MFG Day/month related news, and compile all student, educator, host survey data. FLATE will also work with regional partners to help connect schools with companies, and has compiled a complete press kit that regional partners can use as part of their media relations/outreach strategy.

To support students’ and educators’ learning and engagement in manufacturing, FLATE has also developed an extensive array of

resources specifically designed for educators to use as part of the Manufacturing Day/Month curriculum. These comprehensive resources are lesson plans that provide a quick overview of “what is manufacturing?” and can be taught as one-day lesson plans, or as in-depth, multi-day lessons that merge manufacturing-related technical content with the language skills of common core. There is even a 2015 Manufacturing Day in Florida poster that teachers can use as a curriculum tool and/or to decorate their classroom. To access these resources, visit the FLATE’s Wiki at: http://flate.pbworks.com/w/page/10889505/FrontPage and 
http://mfgday-fl.com.

If you would like to be connected with a regional manufacturers’ association to discuss additional outreach activities for students in your community, contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org, or visit http://mfgday-fl.com. For information on tours for Hillsborough & Pinellas counties contact Nina Stokes, FLATE project manager at stokes@fl-ate.org. For tours in Sarasota and Manatee counties and “Made in Florida” lesson plans for manufacturing day contact Danielly Orozco, FLATE curriculum coordinator at orozco@fl-ate.org.