The number of SME PRIME high schools is set to double after the SME Education Foundation received a $6 million donation from the State of Michigan’s approved Education Budget. The legislation was crafted with bipartisan support from the Michigan Legislature, including Foundation board member and state representative Joe Tate (D-Detroit).
Rob Luce, SME Education Foundation vice president: “SME PRIME schools are central to our commitment of inspiring, preparing and supporting young people,”
89% of SME PRIME schools students enter the manufacturing workforce, apprenticeships or pursue continued education.
The SME Education Foundation will receive $6 million from the state of Michigan as part of the approved School Aid Fund Budget (PA 48 of 2021) crafted with bipartisan support from the Michigan Legislature. The award will double the number of schools participating in the unique manufacturer/educator partnership-driven SME PRIME initiative, which offers education and career-readiness opportunities to high school students.
The SME Education Foundation awarded a record number of scholarships to women and/or minorities: Scholarship awards to female students nearly doubled, and scholarships to minority students and minority female students nearly tripled and quadrupled.
The SME Education Foundation and Proviso West High School welcome BorgWarner as a significant corporate contributor enabling preparation for students pursuing careers in manufacturing and engineering.
The SME Education Foundation, which has awarded more than $8 million to nearly 3,500 students since 2005, has recorded a 95% increase in completed scholarship applications over its historical average.
The governing body of the Foundation, the board is comprised of leaders from industry, academia as well as community leaders.
Luis Rodriguez-Perez graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in Systems Engineering. A recipient of the SME Education Foundation’s Myrtle and Earl Walker Scholarship, Luis noted that hard work, financial support, and the encouragement of his family were critically important in his efforts to earn a scholarship.