Milwaukee Society of Plastics Engineering Education Foundation awards $67,776 in Grants to Wisconsin Schools

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It was announced on Jan. 28 that the Milwaukee Society of Plastics Engineering (SPE) Education Foundation awarded $67,776 in grants to Wisconsin schools in 2021. A total of $59,000 was awarded for grants in 2020 and $56,000 in 2019. This foundation has been awarding grants to Wisconsin schools since the 1990s.

Each year the Milwaukee SPE Education Foundation reviews applications from qualified Wisconsin schools. Recipients are awarded the grant based on a vote by elected members of the education foundation. The requests for grants range from a $4,000 3D printer for Oconomowoc High School, to a $4,700 extruder for UW Madison, to an $8,000 injection molding unit for Waterford Union High School.

The foundation also helps support SPE student chapters at the University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Wisconsin Stout and the University of Wisconsin Platteville.

Schools interested in applying for a grant in 2022 should submit an application by November 1, 2022. Applications are available on the foundation’s website: http://milwaukeespe.org/education-foundation/.

About the Education Foundation

The Education Foundation of the Milwaukee Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers was founded in 1983 as a tax-free, non-profit corporation qualifying as a 501-C foundation. It was formed to promote the plastics industry through increased awareness of this ever-growing segment of U.S. commerce and manufacturing in the various educational institutions in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is one of the top five states for employment by plastics concentration at 14.9% (employment per 1,000 non-farm employees).

The Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of professionals in the plastics industry representing many areas and levels of management, engineering, processing, quality assurance and sales. Some of them own their own businesses and are intimately aware of the quality of employee needed to maintain the growth and innovation the industry has enjoyed for many decades. They possess all the credentials necessary for the administration and distribution of monies where the greatest need exists and the desired benefits may be realized.

Board members donate their time and services to the foundation so all incoming funds may be dedicated to their goal of a self-sustaining source of monetary assistance for students and schools. Through this, the industry and economy of our state and nation may also benefit.