SME and the SME Education Foundation are mourning with great sadness the passing of the SME Education Foundation Board President, Dr. Irving P. McPhail. In his career, Dr. McPhail made outstanding and unforgettable contributions to the advancement of manufacturing and education. His service to the SME Education Foundation was marked by great passion for manufacturing education, deep commitment to broadening opportunities in this industry for all communities, and a sincere belief in the mission of the Foundation to inspire and support talented young people from all backgrounds.
In 2016, we awarded $573,220 to 249 students across the country, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $40,000.
In the wake of COVID-19, educators at Pine Bush High School and Saginaw Intermediate School District (ISD) — both of which are part of SME’s PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) program — have taken creative approaches to learning. Pine Bush High School students returned to school virtually in early September. At Saginaw ISD in Michigan, the back-to-school experience in Fall 2020 includes a combination of remote, hybrid and face-to-face learning, including Tooling U-SME online coursework.
Fori Automation provides opportunities for young people to explore and discover exciting careers in advanced manufacturing.
Scholarships can mean much more than financial support, says Kyle Riegel, recipient of the 2008 SME Education Foundation Family Scholarship. Kyle is a field sales engineer with Schunk Carbon Technology in Iowa. A 2008 graduate of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Kyle currently serves on their engineering board.
Park High School, part of the Racine Unified School District, serves 1,900 students. Through SME PRIME, the high school students at the school explore opportunity in advanced manufacturing through training on modern equipment and learning from tailored curriculum.
Students across the state have new opportunities to learn some very important, and applicable skills for careers, in science, technology, engineering and manufacturing.
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and Georgia Association of Manufacturers (GAM) have partnered with the SME Education Foundation to provide a unique industry-informed, hands-on manufacturing program to select high school students across the state, through the Foundation’s SME PRIME program.
Approximately 72 students at Genesee Career Institute in Flint, Michigan, will have access to new manufacturing education opportunities for the 2022-23 school year through the SME Education Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SME, a 90-year-old non-profit association committed to advancing manufacturing technology and developing a skilled workforce.
