The philanthropic arm of SME, an internationally recognized nonprofit organization serving the manufacturing industry, the SME Education Foundation inspires, prepares and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. Read highlights from the Foundation’s Student Summits, SME PRIME initiative and Student Scholarship program below.
Program Stories
Recent Program Stories
SkillsUSA Judge Inspired by Student Competitors
“It’s fun every year,” says Lance Lu, data scientist at Mantech, about serving as a judge at the SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition, held every June in Atlanta in conjunction with the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC).
Exhibitor-Student Interactions Strengthen Talent Pipeline
Exhibitor participation in SME’s Bright Minds Student Summits, hosted alongside SME manufacturing conferences and events, not only helps students, it’s also beneficial to exhibitors.
Students Tackle Real-World Problems With Project-Based Learning
Working directly with customers isn’t something students normally get to experience in high school classes.
2025 was a year of momentum, marked by record engagement and thousands of students discovering futures in manufacturing.
Inspire, Prepare, Support: 2025 Impact Report
2025 was a year of momentum, marked by record engagement and thousands of students discovering futures in manufacturing.