“Explore the New Manufacturing” group made a surprise award presentation to Warm Springs Middle School at the organization’s Eastern Regional Awards Ceremony late last month.
Jamie Harris, the Warm Springs principal, accepted the 2025 Outstanding Industry Educator Award on behalf of the school. The award celebrates skilled and dedicated educators working to increase the understanding of manufacturing careers available in West Virginia.
“Annually, the Explore team has the opportunity to work with some amazing schools and educators,” said Monica Cross, Executive Director of Explore the New Manufacturing. “Schools in the Eastern Region have juggled numerous infrastructure issues over the past few years, but the Warm Springs Middle School administration always finds ways for their students to take advantage of the programming Explore provides. We have enjoyed working with all the Warm Spring students and seeing their enthusiasm for learning.”
Awardees have championed students in multiple Explore the New Manufacturing events and in Career Technical Education endeavors.
Warm Spring’s award is part of Explore’s Emerging Elite in Manufacturing and Outstanding Industry Educator awards.
Launched in 2020, the awards celebrate the skills and dedication of students and educators across West Virginia.
Warm Springs Middle School’s Career Manufacturing Team took top video honors and was announced as a state qualifier. Students created a video introducing the manufacturing process at Caperton Furnitureworks in Berkeley Springs.
According to Principal Harris, the team currently has the most views in the entire state with more than 9,300 views. The state winner will be announced on May 14.
The video, produced under the direction of advisor Meghan Powell, can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy6DEZ2fcDI.
