The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' manufacturingiscool.com Web Site Offers Innovative Source for Students, Teachers and Parents
26 April 1999
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' manufacturingiscool.com Web Site Offers Innovative Source for Students, Teachers and ParentsDEARBORN, Mich., April 26 -- Log on to manufacturingiscool.com, then cruise down the information superhighway, taking education's newest, hottest ride in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' (SME) high-tech yellow school bus. Stop at cool colleges; go on virtual tours where manufacturing happens; yield for displays on wheels; merge into scholarship money; brake for challenging competitions; and navigate great learning experiences by following cool road-signs through the world of manufacturing. Offering answers and resources to help parents, students, teachers and guidance counselors understand the significance of manufacturing careers, the new web-site launches Phase III of SME's Manufacturing Education Plan. Addressing workforce competencies in manufacturing for kindergarten though 12th grade and post vocational programs, this initiative is part of SME's innovative approach to enhance career development and lifelong learning for manufacturing professionals. At manufacturingiscool.com, click on "Tour Where Manufacturing Happens!" and find virtual tours of companies that manufacture everything from candy to kayaks, and motorcycles to musical instruments. Also find competition opportunities that encourage students to apply classroom knowledge to real- world activities. For parents wondering what college would be best, where to find money for college, or how to stimulate and challenge children, the web-site lets them evaluate accredited colleges and universities and investigate scholarship opportunities. Also, summer camps based on manufacturing engineering challenges, videos and career information offered. SME is evaluating educational programs offered by major educational institutions so that the web-site can bring these together in one easy, accessible location. The Manufacturing Education Plan, a multi-year SME effort in cooperation with industry, is designed to enhance the competence of manufacturing professionals, before, during, and after their formal education. Initial efforts focused on the innovative reform of college engineering curriculum stimulated by grants from the SME Education Foundation. SME, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., is an international professional society dedicated to serving its members and the manufacturing community through the advancement of professionalism, knowledge and learning. Founded in 1932, SME has over 60,000 members in 70 countries. The Society also sponsors 295 chapters, districts and regions, as well as 275 student chapters worldwide.