The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation is an educational,
research, and charitable organization serving the metal forming and fabricating industry.
Contributions to the FMA Foundation fund scholarships for training in the trades, and
grants for manufacturing summer camps for youth and for conducting research relating
to metal forming and fabrication technology in manufacturing.
"Robotics rock star" busts some myths about kids and technology
On Nov. 8, FMA and UL Laboratories coordinated the making of an instructional safety video that will be seen by many of the 37,000 high school students who are participating in FIRST Robotics programs nationwide. The video features Grant Imahara of Mythbusters TV series fame. FMA Director of Education Jim Warren was on hand to interview Grant on the noisy set about robots, the value of tinkering, and more.
Mythbusters star Grant Imahara teaches "safety for dummies"
in FMA's instructional video
for FIRST Robotics students.
featuring Blair and Mark, your favorite emcees from
the FIRST Robotics Competition—with a special offer for FIRST Robotics teams!
"GO-Brennan" Scholarships "Lap Two"
FMA Foundation offers 25 $500 scholarships
On Sept. 15 on YouTube, teen race-car driver Brennan Palmiter kicked off "lap 2" of FMA Foundation's "GO-Brennan" Scholarships. To qualify for this competition, students had to be headed to a two-year trade or technical school next spring for classes in welding or other metal fabricating processes. Best thing about "Go-Brennan" Scholarships? No paperwork to fill out! To apply, they simply made a one-minute video telling us: why they'd like to go into manufacturing, what job they want to have, and what school they plan to attend. They were encouraged to show their skills in the shop — and something they'd made out of metal. They uploaded their videos to YouTube by Nov. 9. Each winner will also receive the full licensed version of the SolidWorks Student Design Kit CAD software, compliments of SolidWorks Corp., and a VISTA® auto-darkening welding helmet, compliments of The Lincoln Electric Company! Winners notified on Nov. 24 by e-mail via YouTube.
Girls get S.M.A.R.T. at Ulster BOCES —
It's a little after nine on Monday morning, and instructor Mark Harris is warming up his audience — 23 teenage girls — with a go-round.
"How'd you come to be here?" he asks each one.
It's a reasonable question. While their peers sleep in or perhaps prepare for a trip to the mall or the pool, these young women are inside a flourescent-lit tech classroom at the BOCES facility in Port Ewen, prepared to devote a week of their summer vacation to learning. More.
FMA has been recognized with an Award of Excellence —
through the Associations Advance America (AAA) Awards program, for FMA Foundation's summer manufacturing camps for youth. Through FMA Foundation grants, middle-schoolers at 26 camps across the country this summer will be introduced to the joys of tinkering. The camps offer hands-on projects involving welding, metal fabricating, robotics, lasers, and other processes. The AAA Awards, sponsored by American Society of Association Executives and The Center for Association Leadership, recognize associations that improve the quality of life in America with innovative programs in education, skills training, standard setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship and community service. The FMA Foundation will now be considered for the Summit Award, ASAE's highest honor, to be announced in July, so stay tuned!
PACCAR Foundation Contributes Grant to FMA Foundation
We're pleased to announce that the PACCAR Foundation, a private foundation established in 1951, has contributed a $10,000 grant to the FMA Foundation. A multinational technology company, PACCAR manufactures premium commercial vehicles sold around the world under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates.
"This grant from PACCAR will allow us to run two additional manufacturing camps in Rockford, Ill., where PACCAR has one of their distribution facilities, and we are thrilled to have their support," said Terrence Egan, director of the FMA Foundation. "With the help of PACCAR we can continue to strengthen the future work force in the manufacturing industry."
The balance of the PACCAR Foundation's grants are reserved for capital campaigns involving acquisition or improvement of facilities used for social and health services, education and cultural affairs.
Traditional Scholarships
Application deadline was April 4 for an FMA Foundation scholarship of up to $5,000 per school year for members, $2,500 for nonnmembers. Applications for members-only trade school scholarships of up to $2,000 are accepted throughout the year. Details here.
Grants Announced March 13
National winners of FMA Foundation grants to host manufacturing summer camps for kids were announced in a March 13 press conference with John Ratzenberger and Brennan Palmiter at Metal Matters: The Metal Fabricator's Management Summit in Orlando. Details here. To apply for a 2009 Grant, click here.
FMA FOUNDATION 833 Featherstone Road, Rockford, IL 888-394-4362 E-Mail: Foundation@fmanet.org
833 Featherstone Road, Rockford, IL 
888-394-4362 
It's a little after nine on Monday morning, and instructor Mark Harris is warming up his audience — 23 teenage girls — with a go-round.
FMA has been recognized with an Award of Excellence —
"This grant from PACCAR will allow us to run two additional manufacturing camps in Rockford, Ill., where PACCAR has one of their distribution facilities, and we are thrilled to have their support," said Terrence Egan, director of the FMA Foundation. "With the help of PACCAR we can continue to strengthen the future work force in the manufacturing industry."