48 schools receive sustainability awards, 16 schools for first time
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 2, 2025 — Manufacturing education is thriving in high schools across the country thanks in part to a record number of SME PRIME® Sustainability Awards from the SME Education Foundation, which will provide critical funding to 48 SME PRIME high schools this year. These awards help ensure students have access to hands-on training, state-of-the-art equipment, and industry-aligned curriculum—strengthening the manufacturing workforce pipeline nationwide.
Informed by private industry, SME PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) builds custom manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, teacher training, student scholarships, and funding for extracurricular activities and program sustainability. SME PRIME is tailored to meet the needs of local manufacturers and is aligned with 45 industry-recognized credentials and certifications. SME PRIME is located in 118 schools across 25 states, serving 12,000 students, and 91% of SME PRIME seniors pursue manufacturing post-graduation.
“Sustainability funding ensures that SME PRIME schools can continue to deliver high-quality manufacturing education year after year,” said Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation. “Each award represents an investment not only in the students who will fill tomorrow’s manufacturing roles but also in the economic vitality of the communities they call home. Together with our industry partners, we are fueling a talent pipeline that strengthens manufacturing’s innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.”
Sustainability awards are provided to SME PRIME schools to maintain and grow their programs beyond the initial development phase. This unique funding ensures the long-term success of SME PRIME and continued access to manufacturing educational opportunities for students nationwide. Schools use the awards to help fund additional equipment purchases, instructional support, professional development, and student engagement activities that support manufacturing.
Nearly every school that applied in 2025 received an award. Some are among the earliest established SME PRIME schools, dating back to 2010. The institutions selected for the 2024 SME PRIME sustainability awards are:
- Airport High School, Carleton, MI
- Area 31 Career Center - Ben Davis High School, Indianapolis, IN
- Barberton High School, Barberton, OH
- Bryan County High School, Pembroke, GA
- Calhoun High School, Calhoun, GA
- Capital High School, Helena, MT
- Cazenovia High School, Cazenovia, NY
- Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, IA
- Center Line High School, Center Line, MI
- Central Columbia High School, Bloomsburg, PA
- Columbia-Montour AVTS, Bloomsburg, PA
- East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies (Wando High School), Mt. Pleasant, SC
- East Jackson Secondary School, Jackson, MI
- Freeland High School, Freeland, MI
- Gainesville High School, Gainesville, GA
- Grand Haven High School, Grand Haven, MI
- Hancock High School, Hancock, MI
- Hollenstein Career & Technology Center, Fort Worth, TX
- Hopewell High School, Huntersville, NC
- Indiana County Technology Center, Indiana, PA
- Innovation Central High School, Grand Rapids, MI
- J.I. Case High School, Racine, WI
- Liberty College & Career Academy, Hinesville, GA
- McKenzie Center for Innovation & Technology, Indianapolis, IN
- Merrill High School, Merrill, MI
- Monroe Area High School, Monroe, GA
- Pontiac High School, Pontiac, MI
- Proviso West High School, Hillside, IL
- Romeo High School, Washington, MI
- Rudyard Area Schools, Rudyard, MI
- Saginaw Career Complex, Saginaw, MI
- South Forsyth High School, Summing, GA
- St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael, MN
- Starkweather Academy, Plymouth, MI
- Summit Technology Academy, Lee’s Summit, MO
- Swan Valley High School, Saginaw, MI
- Three Rivers High School, Three Rivers, MI
- Troy High School, Troy, MI
- Unadilla Valley High School, New Berlin, NY
- Wadsworth High School, Wadsworth, OH
- Walker Career Center, Indianapolis, IN
- Washington Park High School, Racine, WI
- West Hall High School, Oakwood, GA
- West Ottawa High School, Holland, MI
- West Texas Training Center, San Angelo, TX
- Wheeling High School, Wheeling, IL
- Whitehall High School, Whitehall, MI
- William Horlick High School, Racine, WI
"Receiving this sustainability award means our students will continue to gain valuable, hands-on experience with the same tools and technology used in today’s manufacturing careers," said Jason Lee, teacher at Bryan County High School. "This funding ensures we can keep our SME PRIME program thriving and prepare students for the many high-demand opportunities available in our community and across Georgia."
"The SME PRIME Sustainability Award allows us to keep growing our program and providing our students with opportunities they might not have otherwise," said Christopher Desmond, teacher at Hopewell High School, Huntersville, NC. "This investment directly impacts our students’ futures by giving them skills and certifications that make them career-ready the moment they graduate."
The SME Education Foundation proudly seeded the SME PRIME Sustainability Fund with its own resources and actively raises additional funds from the private sector. Gratitude is extended to Corning Community Impact and many other contributors for their generous support, which underscores the importance of collaboration among industry leaders in advancing the sustainability of SME PRIME programs.
"At Corning Community Impact, we are dedicated to creating lasting opportunities that strengthen the communities where we live and work," said Dr. Millicent Ruffin, Division Vice President, Corning Community Impact. "By investing in programs like SME PRIME, we support local schools in providing the industry-relevant skills needed for meaningful, high-tech careers. As a global manufacturing leader, Corning recognizes the importance of empowering students to shape the future of manufacturing and in turn, foster stronger communities."
About the SME Education Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of SME, the SME Education Foundation inspires, prepares, and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. Established in 1979, the Foundation works to expose youth to modern manufacturing technologies, train students on relevant manufacturing processes, and award millions of dollars in scholarships annually. All Foundation programming seeks to empower youth to consider and pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering. We continue to inspire, prepare, and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent – now as many as 14,000 students every year. Visit smeef.org and follow the SME Education Foundation on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
About SME
Established in 1932 as a nonprofit organization, SME represents the entire North American manufacturing industry, including manufacturers, academia, professionals, students, and the communities in which they operate. We believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity, and champion the industry's potential as a diverse, thriving, and valued ecosystem. SME accelerates new technology adoption and builds North America’s talent and capabilities to advance manufacturing and drive competitiveness, resiliency, and national security. SME designs new ways to understand and solve problems, and our solutions advance the next wave of growth in manufacturing. Learn more at SME.org.