Ford Blue Oval Scholarships support STEM education for San Antonio students

Ford Blue Oval Scholarships are being made available to high school students in Bexar County, Texas to support workforce development through STEM education and the pursuit of degrees in engineering or technology-related programs.

By Source: SME Education Foundation March 15, 2011

In partnership with Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, the SME Education Foundation announced the 2011 Ford Blue Oval Scholarship program for graduating high school seniors in Bexar County, Texas. As part of their Operation Goodwill program, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services are continuing this scholarship program, established in 2009, for Bexar County high school students to encourage their pursuit of degrees in engineering or technology-related programs.

Ten scholarships valued at $2,500 each will be awarded to students who have made their college selection. Students are invited to visit the SME Education Foundation website to access scholarship information and the scholarship application. The application and all required documents must be received by the offices of the SME Education Foundation by Friday, April 15, 2011. Scholarship recipients will be notified by mail beginning May 2011.

The Ford Blue Oval Scholarship program is an innovative initiative designed to increase Ford’s philanthropic and community-related commitment in select cities across America. Through this program, Ford Fund is partnering with its dealers in providing funding to support a combination of grants, safety and educational programs and volunteer activities that enhance the quality of life in San Antonio.

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, is a highly-recognized industry leader committed to furthering the development of America’s future engineers, scientists and technical work force. It has partnered with the SME Education Foundation, who in sharing its vision for workforce development, administers the scholarship. The Ford Blue Oval Scholarship, a one-time gift, allows students to apply for subsequent awards. It was established in the summer of 2009 with plans to expand to other cities.

Each selected student is known as a Ford Blue Oval Scholar. In 2010 scholarships were awarded to ten students, five young men and five young women from the following Bexar County high schools: Ronald Regan, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Burbank, Brooks Academy, McCollum, South San Antonio, Southwest, Earl Warren and the Science and Engineering Academy (SEA).

“The ability of this country to research, design and develop innovative manufacturing technologies is critical in our ability to increase productivity in durable goods, which increases employment and provides economic and social well-being. We are reaching out to talented young people to help them secure a viable future with a technology-based education,” says Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “In today’s economic climate, scholarships like the Ford Blue Oval Scholarship are crucial to students and their chances for viable careers. As the emerging technologies sector continues to accelerate, companies increasingly dependent on advanced manufacturing technologies and its processes, want to hire engineers capable of designing and improving products,” says Bart A. Aslin, chief operating officer, SME Education Foundation.

www.community.ford.com

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services

www.smeef.org

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation

– Edited by Gust Gianos, Plant Engineering, www.plantengineering.com