Society of Plastics Engineers awarded record number of scholarships and grants in 2015

The Society of Plastics Engineers (Bethel, CT) handed out a record number of scholarships and grants in 2015, which certainly puts that industry trade group ahead of the pack. For 2015, 45 scholarships were awarded for a total of $112,000, and nine grants were given for a total of $49,815.89. 

Students receiving scholarships of $1,000 to $3,000 were from a wide range of schools that included Michigan State University, Ferris State, Baylor, University of Wisconsin, Western Washington University, UMass-Amherst, Penn State-Erie, UMass-Lowell, Drexel University, Rutgers, PA College of Technology, Kettering University, University of Maryland, Pittsburg State University (Kansas), University of Dayton, California Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech, and the University of Nebraska. One student was from Hungary.

Grant recipients included Kettering University in Flint, MI, which received one grant for $12,500 for a plastics outreach program, and a second grant for $10,000 for a polymer processing lab; PA College of Technology in Williamsport, PA, received $10,000 for a roll-fed thermoforming machine project; North Lake School District in North Lake, WI, received $2,557.89 for its middle school STEM program; University of Wisconsin – Madison received $6,758 for a thermoforming machine; Bethel Middle School in Shawnee, OK, received $2,000 to purchase a 3D printer; Collinsville Middle School in Collinsville, OK, received $3,284.77 to purchase a 3D printer; Freeland Middle School in Freeland, MI, received $2,000 to purchase a 3D printer; Henryetta Middle School in Henryetta, OK, received a $2,000 grant to purchase a 3D printer; Lakewood Elementary School in Twin Lakes, WI, was awarded $2,000 to purchase a 3D printer; and Grand Traverse Academy in Traverse City, MI, received $2,000 to purchase a 3D printer.

The TIO3 school in Ronse, Belgium, was awarded $16,625 to purchase a laser. Students 2 Science in East Hanover, NJ, were awarded $5,000 to implement student participation in STEM programs. Western Washington University received a grant for $5,450 to purchase a new rotational molding machine.

So far in 2016, SPE has given five grants for a total of $31,075.

SPE deserves kudos for its continued efforts to help young people become educated in the plastics industry and keep the industry strong for generations to come.