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SME Education Foundation SME PRIME What is SME PRIME?

SME PRIME

Sometimes industries and schools don’t speak the same language, but SME PRIME has built a team that can translate, with great liaisons between schools and industry.”
– High School Educator

Program Offerings

Directly Enhancing Manufacturing and Engineering Talent Across the Country

SME PRIME® (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) is the signature program of the SME Education Foundation. Founded in 2011, SME PRIME partners private industry with academia to build custom manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools across the country — providing equipment, curriculum, teacher training and student scholarships along with funding for manufacturing-related extracurricular activities and program sustainability.

SME PRIME is the most comprehensive manufacturing and engineering program for high school students in the country.

What makes us different? 

  • SME PRIME is provided at no cost to high schools
  • Curriculum is tailored to meet local manufacturers’ needs and aligned with state educational standards
  • Foundation staff coordinate program development and alleviate administrative burdens
  • Ongoing financial support provided to sustain program longevity

SME PRIME Impact

118

Schools in 25 states

12,000

Students served annually

91%

Of SME PRIME seniors choose manufacturing/ engineering post-grad.

Preparing the Next Generation Workforce

Two million manufacturing jobs need to be filled by 2030. SME PRIME is the response to this challenge.
SME PRIME

Program Offerings

All PRIME deliverables are free to the schools allowing for hands-on training in high schools across the country, supplemented with a tailored curriculum and influenced by local manufacturers in their communities.
More Information

Recent PRIME Stories

SME PRIME Supports Immigrant-Focused Engineering School

Asaad and Neran Kalasho, a married couple who emigrated from Iraq to the Detroit area in the 1970s, envisioned establishing an engineering-focused educational opportunity for students arriving from war-torn regions

SME PRIME Teachers Dive into Technology with Stratasys

Stratasys went above and beyond with its preparation of SME PRIME® teachers in August during their 2 ½ day training at Stratasys’ headquarters in Minnesota. “We talk about applications, materials and segments, and then we dive into the equipment itself — and really get these instructors upskilled to talk intelligently about how the technology is used.”

SME PRIME’s Flowery Branch High School Competes at SkillsUSA

Flowery Branch High School (FBHS), one of 12 Georgia secondary schools to join the SME PRIME® network in 2023, recently participated in the state-level SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition. Not only did FBHS win at the SkillsUSA Georgia state championship in April, it advanced to compete at the SkillsUSA national level in June.

View All PRIME Stories

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Connect with the SME Education Foundation

Stay up-to-date on what's happening with the foundation, the PRIME Program, upcoming student summits, scholarship opportunities and more.
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Q1 2025

Recent PRIME Announcements

View All PRIME Announcements

Read Annual Report

2023 was a record year for the SME Education Foundation as Bright Minds Student Summits, SME PRIME, and the Scholarship program delivered impressive results.
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