The SME Education Foundation is proud to highlight our industry investors, education partners and community supporters: Our SME PRIME schools’ initiative relies on their input, counsel and support.
A national initiative, SME PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) schools directly enhance the manufacturing and engineering talent pipeline by partnering with industry to develop manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools by providing modern equipment, a tailored curriculum and hands-on training experiences to students and educators.
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has been instrumental in the SME PRIME schools’ program in two Southeast Michigan communities.
Established in 1984, The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has worked to support and expand the efforts of nonprofit organizations throughout the region, helping residents of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $1 billion through more than 69,000 grants to nonprofit organizations.
Surabhi Pandit is a senior program officer with the Community Foundation and takes personal pride in the work they do. “We are often the first funder at the table; our grants really help organizations take their work to the next level.”
Surabhi cites their work across a broad spectrum of initiatives, from the arts, civic life, education, health, human services, immigrant and refugee issues and youth development and leadership.
The collaboration with the SME Education Foundation proved to be a very good fit. “We discussed opportunities with the Foundation several times. We’re interested in the ‘why’ and ‘where’; the sustainability of a project or initiative.” Surabhi notes. “The SME PRIME school model made sense to us."
“I think the SME Education Foundation is an organization working within its expertise to improve access and opportunity to youth in our region,” Surabhi said. “Through the SME PRIME program, there are opportunities for students to have experiences they might not have had otherwise.”
We rely on our partners to help us build the future of the manufacturing workforce — and of manufacturing itself — through investment in our SME PRIME schools.
