Pontiac High School Implements New STEM Program With Industry Partners

(CBS DETROIT) - The Flagstar Bank Foundation has announced a significant contribution to the SME Education Foundation to implement an SME PRIME program at Pontiac High School. The Flagstar Foundation teamed up with the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to support the initiative to bring manufacturing and engineering education and career opportunities to Pontiac High School students.

The SME Education Foundation is the philanthropic arm of SME, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the tools to succeed in manufacturing jobs in North America. Students in the Pontiac SME PRIME program will benefit from training and access to modern, advanced manufacturing equipment in industrial maintenance/mechatronics, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing and additive manufacturing.

Following a regional market analysis, the SME Education Foundation worked with local partners Williams International, Irwin Automotive, FANUC and Mahindra to shape and form a curriculum that aligns with identified job opportunities.

"SME PRIME schools are central to our commitment to inspiring, preparing and supporting young people," said Rob Luce, SME Education Foundation vice president. "We're proud to now include Pontiac High School students in the SME PRIME schools' initiative as we continue to expand the program across the country."

Pontiac High School serves more than 1,000 students in Oakland County, Michigan, with many from economically disadvantaged circumstances.

"Pontiac High School students are diverse and often underrepresented in STEM fields," said Suzanne Kavanaugh, PhD, principal of Pontiac High School. "The SME Education Foundation PRIME schools program creates new pathways and opportunities for these students to explore futures in both industry and ongoing education."

The Flagstar Foundation's contribution comes as a part of its $10 million investment in Pontiac to support career and workforce readiness. "We look to this program to help improve the local economy by offering students the chance to graduate from high school ready for the workforce," said Beth Correa, head of corporate responsibility at Flagstar and managing director of the Flagstar Foundation. "It's another way for us to give life to our pledge to help revitalize Pontiac."

To learn more about the SME Education Foundation PRIME initiative, visit smeef.org/prime.

About Flagstar

Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: FBC) is a $27.5 billion savings and loan holding company headquartered in Troy, Mich. Flagstar Bank, FSB, provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services through 160 branches in Michigan, Indiana, California, Wisconsin and Ohio. It also provides home loans through a wholesale network of brokers and correspondents in all 50 states, as well as 89 retail locations in 28 states, representing the combined retail branches of Flagstar and its Opes Advisors mortgage division. Flagstar is a leading national originator and servicer of mortgage and other consumer loans, handling payments and record keeping for $214 billion of loans representing slightly over 1 million borrowers. For more information, please visit flagstar.com

About the SME Education Foundation

As 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. The Foundation leverages the 90-year history and thought leadership of SME in the manufacturing and engineering industry to provide curated experiences for thousands of high school students at SME conferences and tradeshows and builds hands-on manufacturing programs in high schools across the country. The Foundation also awards millions of dollars in scholarships every year to graduating high school seniors and both undergraduate and graduate students.  Through its SME PRIME program, the Foundation has reached over 100,000 students in 60 schools across 22 states. All Foundation activities are designed to empower young people to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.

Visit the SME Education Foundation at smeeducationfoundation.org. Follow @mfgeducation on Twitter or facebook.com/SME.Education.Foundation.

SOURCE SME Education Foundation

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