ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT
ANNUAL
smeef.org
The SME Education Foundation celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2019, capping off four decades of giving to educational initiatives and STEMrelated programming across the country. As the philanthropic arm of SME, the Foundation has a four-decade track record of developing, funding and managing ambitious initiatives to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. Over the years, the Foundation’s success has been made possible by the generous support of thousands of donors, the commitment of hundreds of partners, and selfless contributions of time, energy and expertise from countless volunteers. The mission of the Foundation today is as relevant as it was in 1979 — perhaps more so. The well-researched skills gap and often-publicized perception problem impacting the manufacturing industry have elevated the significance of the Foundation’s work and the importance of our mission. Through distinct programming, the Foundation works to introduce students to the manufacturing industry, educate and instruct them in advanced technology, and support and help fund the cost of their post-secondary education. 2019 was also a transformational year for the Foundation. A new team was assembled, and various governance matters addressed. More importantly, we undertook extensive enhancements to improve the quality, increase the efficiency and ensure the sustainability of Foundation programming. Lastly, we embarked on a new effort to increase diversity, equity and inclusion among scholarship applicants and awardees. All the while, the Foundation secured over $4 million to support its efforts of inspiration, preparation and support. Again, our grateful thanks to all our valued and many donors, partners and volunteers.
2
Rob Luce
Irving P. “Irv” McPhail, EdD
Foundation Vice President
Board of Directors President
GOVERNANCE Foundation Governance
SME Education Foundation Board of Directors
The SME Education Foundation is managed by a volunteer board representing business, industry and academia.
2020 Foundation Officers
President Irving P. “Irv” McPhail, EdD Principal The McPhail Group LLC
2020 Foundation Members Frank W. Ervin III
Group Vice President Government Affairs Piston Group LLC
Vice President Joseph A. “Joe” Kann
Secretary/Treasurer John F. Miller
President Cobble Creek Solutions
Senior Vice President Mainstream Engineering Software Siemens Digital Industries Software
2019 Outgoing Foundation
Board Members
Thank you to our outgoing 2019 Foundation Board Members for their contributions to the SME Education Foundation: Wayne F. Frost, LSME, CMfgE Senior Engineer (retired) Deere & Co.
•
Thomas G. Bridge, PhD, LSME, CMfgE
•
Kathy Burnham
•
Peter Mackie
•
Gwendolyn Malone
•
Karla E. Middlebrooks
•
Sue Shimoyama
•
Mark Stratton
Brian A. Ruestow, LSME Sales Director – Americas Norton Pulpstones Inc.
Pamela J. Ruschau, Esq.
Intellectual Property Attorney Leydig, Voit & Mayer Ltd.
3
Overview The SME Education Foundation inspires, prepares and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent through its Student Summit event series, SME PRIME® (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) initiative and Student Scholarship program. The philanthropic arm of SME, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization serving the manufacturing industry, the SME Education Foundation has had a significant impact on hundreds of thousands of people since its inception in 1979. A national 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation draws upon SME’s international membership — as well as its almost 90-year history and thought leadership in manufacturing-focused conferences and events, media production, and training and workforce development — to attract and develop a skilled manufacturing workforce.
AWARDS Awards and Recognition
PRIME Partner of the Year
In partnership with Shape Corp., the SME PRIME initiative expanded into Grand Haven High School during the 2017–18 school year, providing students with opportunities to develop critical skills for the manufacturing industry. Shape Corp.’s support has enabled offerings in precision measurement, quality, inspection and additive manufacturing.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Williams Robert Williams, recipient of the 2019 SME Education Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, served on the SME Education Foundation Board of Directors from 2005–10. An annual contributor to the Foundation since 2005, he has been part of the SME Education Foundation’s Scholarship Review Committee since 2011. Williams began working at Caterpillar in 1966, when he became a machinist apprentice. From there, he took on a series of leadership positions with the company before being named a vice president in 2004.
4
THANK YOU
INSPIRE Student Summits
Student Summit Event Program
Hosted at SME events throughout the year, Student Summits inspire high school students to consider manufacturing as a career. In 2019, the SME Education Foundation produced eight summits around the United States and Canada. They were attended by more than 1,500 students from over 70 high schools in 11 U.S. states and one Canadian province: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Ontario. Student Summits expose high school students to manufacturing technology and introduce them to the companies and people driving the industry forward. Programming is designed to appeal to a teenage mindset, providing attendees with an enjoyable day of interactive education.
Competitions, Tours and Keynote Speakers Hands-on challenges are the foundation of our Student Summits, providing students with the opportunity to design, fabricate and test a product while competing for cash prizes or scholarship dollars. In addition to participating in the competitions, student attendees tour the SME trade-show floor, interacting with prescreened exhibitors who volunteer to host students at their displays. They also hear from keynote speakers from the world of industry.
“My students came back so excited; it really pulled the world of manufacturing together for them. They were truly grateful for this opportunity.” — Wayne Lichtenberger, industrial technology teacher, Kouts High School, Kouts, Ind.
5
New in 2019 New in 2019, the SME Education Foundation partnered with Ten80 Education* to produce hands-on challenges. Focusing on one of two pathways — race engineering or unmanned aerial vehicles — the competitions break students into teams of five and rotate them through three 20-minute stations, where they earn points while engaging in various manufacturing disciplines. Each station is staffed by volunteers, mostly SME members, who instruct the students and assist with their work. The team that accumulates the most points wins the competition. In 2019, $100 gift cards were awarded to each student who was part of a winning team. In 2019, Student Summit keynote speakers included: •
Paul K. Oldroyd, technical fellow for technology and innovation at Bell Flight/Textron
•
Meghan West, president and CEO of Mastercam
•
Fredi Lajvardi, celebrated STEM educator
*Ten80 Education is a team of STEM, education and business professionals dedicated to cultivating a STEM ecosystem that unites and inspires the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers and innovators, empowering all students to thrive in a world of constant innovation.
6
“SOUTHTEC’s 2019 field trip was by far one of my favorite field trips ever. The experience was great; just walking around and seeing all the machines made me realize how much I had to learn about machine tools. Though I felt like this, everyone there made us feel welcomed; and encouraged, motivated and pushed us to be the best professionals in the future.” — Joel P., student, Golden Strip Career Center, Greenville, S.C.
2019 Student Summits
at a Glance
8
summits took place
• AeroDef (Long Beach, Calif.) • CMTS (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) • EASTEC (West Springfield, Mass.) • FABTECH (Chicago) • HOUSTEX (Houston) • RAPID + TCT (Detroit) • SOUTHTEC (Greenville, S.C.) • WESTEC (Long Beach, Calif.)
1,500+ students from
70+
416
HIGH SCHOOLS attended
student attendees
became NEW
SME members
100+ EACH SUMMIT
high school students
attended
10
of the attending schools were SME PRIME SCHOOLS
206 RENEWED
student attendees their SME memberships
5
SME CHAPTERS
volunteered in
hands-on competitions:
• Chicago
• Toronto
• South Bay (Calif.)
• Worcester (Mass.)
• South L.A. Orange (Calif.)
7
PREPARE
SME PRIME Schools
SME PRIME® (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) builds cost-effective and tailored manufacturing/engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, professional development, scholarships and STEM-focused extracurricular activities to students and teachers. SME PRIME students receive hands-on training on modern equipment, and learn about technology and processes through industry-informed curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of local manufacturers.
Top
Deliverables •
Curriculum and Certification
•
Equipment and Supplies
•
Extracurricular Activities
•
Professional Development
•
Scholarships
Launched in 2011 as a grant-making program, SME PRIME took a new approach to manufacturing education in 2014 by developing custom programs in partnership with private industry. In 2019, the Foundation added 12 new schools to the SME PRIME network, an increase of 25 percent. These 12 programs, like all SME PRIME programs, were completely funded by engaged industry donors — in this case, 28 of them. The schools bear no cost. Today, the SME PRIME footprint stands at 60 schools across 22 states, 40 percent of which are second-generation programs that are tailored to enhance local workforce needs.
“It offers opportunities that kids at other schools don’t have. Companies in the area were taken aback we were offering this.” — Scott Osborne, industrial technology instructor, Central Columbia High School, Bloomsburg, Pa.
8
Pathways •
Additive Manufacturing
•
Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing
•
Engineering
•
Industrial Maintenance
•
Machining and Fabrication
•
Materials Science
•
Mechatronics and Robotics
•
Metrology and Quality
•
Welding
New in 2019 New in 2019, the Foundation established a strategic partnership with Tooling U-SME to completely rethink and rebuild the process by which SME PRIME education pathways are identified and corresponding curriculum plans developed. Utilizing public data from numerous sources, artificial intelligence, local workforce assessment surveys and faceto-face workshops with donors, Tooling U-SME develops customized four-year curriculum plans for each SME PRIME school, which the Foundation references for equipment procurement decisions and in-classroom consultation. These new curriculum plans align with state standards and provide a wealth of information for instructors in the classroom. Perhaps most importantly, the entire process is done in partnership with donors and educators, and completed in 90 days, from concept to concrete.
While Tooling U-SME has always been the SME PRIME curriculum provider of choice — and will continue to be — the enhanced partnership greatly improves the quality of the SME PRIME program and further leverages the synergies that exist between the SME Education Foundation and Tooling U-SME.
“The SME PRIME initiative provides a gateway for students to get into the skilled trades and support highly skilled positions at global companies like LINK Engineering.” — Jerry Verkerke, vice president of operations, LINK Engineering, Plymouth, Mich.
9
2019 PRIME Schools
at a Glance
$2,538,281
28
PRIME Donors
DONATED
2019 •
Schools Added
Birch Run High School
•
Case High School
•
Center Line High School
•
Freeland High School
•
(Birch Run, Mich.)
•
(Freeland, Mich.)
10
Hemlock High School
•
Heritage High School
•
Merrill High School
•
Pontiac High School (Pontiac, Mich.)
(Saginaw, Mich.) (Merrill, Mich.)
Pine Bush High School (Pine Bush, N.Y.)
(Hemlock, Mich.)
(Center Line, Mich.)
•
•
(Ithaca, Mich.)
(Racine, Wisc.)
•
Gratiot-Isabella RESD
Saginaw Career Center (Saginaw, Mich.)
Swan Valley High School (Saginaw, Mich.)
SUPPORT Student Scholarships
SME Education Foundation Scholarships
The SME Education Foundation’s scholarships program began shortly after the Foundation’s creation in 1979, initially with limited means and modest disbursement of funds. Over the years, through the generous support of committed individuals and corporations alike, the Foundation’s scholarship endowment has grown to a point where it is now in the enviable position of being able to annually award nearly two million dollars of academic support to deserving graduating high school seniors, undergraduates and graduate students pursuing two-year or four-year degrees in manufacturing and related engineering disciplines. Every year, the Foundation receives nearly 1,000 applications from students across the country, vying for scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $40,000. Every application is reviewed as part of a rigorous and coordinated effort involving hundreds of dedicated and qualified SME members, and members of both the SME and SME Education Foundation boards. The scholarship application process is open from November to February, and students need only complete one application to be automatically qualified for scores of different scholarships.
In 2019, the SME Education Foundation awarded 587 scholarships to young men and women, totaling $1,647,000 in support. Funds were disbursed to students in 41 different states. Of note were the winners of the Foundation’s Directors and Family scholarships — the most prestigious and financially significant scholarships awarded by the Foundation. Directors Scholarship The 2019 Directors Scholarship honored Douglas E. Booth, FSME, CMfgE, PE, for his contributions to SME and the SME Education Foundation. Booth had served as SME president and was elected to the 1997 Class of SME Fellows. From 1998-2009, Booth was a member of the SME Education Board of Directors and served as its vice president in 2000. Family Scholarship SME Education Foundation 2019 Family Scholarships were awarded to four students who have a parent or grandparent who is an SME member. This highly competitive scholarship, made possible by the E. Wayne Kay Scholarship Fund, is awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence and an interest in manufacturing engineering or related technology.
2019 Scholarship Recipient Locations Nova Scotia, Canada
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky
Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Nova Scotia, Canada
11
New in 2019
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Four new scholarship funds were established in
Of significance was the Foundation’s mandate to
2019, demonstrating the continued commitment and
increase equity, diversity and inclusion among its
generosity of SME member chapters, individual donors
applicants and recipients. In partnership with the
and engaged corporate and community contributors.
National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of
These four funds were established by SME chapters and
Women Engineers and the American Indian Science
individual donors or their estates, and will collectively
and Engineering Society, the Foundation hosted
award thousands of dollars going forward.
a workshop to discuss and explore ways to improve awareness and opportunity of Foundation scholarships
“The support we’ve received from our business community and local leaders has been phenomenal, and we are all encouraged by the prospect of preparing our talented students to thrive in our local business communities.” — Monica L. Merritt, Superintendent of Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, Plymouth, Mich.
12
among a broader, more diverse number of students, especially those underrepresented in academia and industry. The initiative was recognized by the national publication Diversity in Action and will remain an ongoing part of the Foundation’s commitment to student support.
2019 Scholarships
at a Glance
805 RECEIVED
Scholarship Applications
587 AWARDED Scholarships
$ 1,647,000 AWARDED $34,900 AWARDED
PRIME Scholarships
DIRECTORS
2019 Scholarship Recipients Juliana Proctor
Keene State College
Carl Rydell
Oregon State University
Michael Ustes
University of Michigan-Dearborn
FAMILY
2019 Scholarship Recipients
Connar Christensen Maribel, Wisc. Studying mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University
Rachel Linder Union, Ky. Studying biomedical engineering and technology at the University of Louisville
Mallory McKell Spanish Fork, Utah Studying manufacturing engineering at Brigham Young University
Benjamin Molnar Poolesville, Md. Studying mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland
13
DONORS Corporate Donors in 2019
The Hunter Group Jerome-Raidelle Newman Trust The Positive Future Trust Randles Family Living Trust SME Chapter 57 The Walter Panse Trust 14
2019 Donors
at a Glance
300+ contributed in 2019
INDIVIDUAL Donors
THANK YOU to all our
2019 donors, and to all the
7,000+ Donors
from the past
37 contributed in 2019
CORPORATE Donors
We would not be able to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent without your contributions.
40 years.
15
Make a Difference With the SME Education Foundation Donate now at smeef.org/donate
313.425.3000 | smeef.org