Incredibly, another year has flown by, but your Foundation has made great use of the time and is happy to report another strong year of program successes.

The SME Foundation recently held our first SMEF Golf Outing in West Virginia at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. It was well attended with 112 golfers who joined us on a lovely September day. Our immensely popular golf outing at Gold Canyon Golf Resort in Arizona, coming on Nov. 22, 2024, blazed the path and continues to set the bar.

The Mineral Education Coalition (MEC) has had another excellent year, hosting its first Arizona teacher workshop at MINEXCHANGE 2024 and is now preparing for another at MINEXCHANGE 2025 SME Annual Conference & Expo in Denver, CO, Feb. 23-26. MEC introduced a new children’s activity book, updated curriculum items, attended NSTA conferences and coming up is the first-ever Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST). The MEC is more vibrant than ever.

“All That Glitters Is Gold” is the theme for the SMEF Annual Gala held during MINEXCHANGE 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in Denver, CO. In conjunction with World Gold 2025 and record gold prices, we could not have asked for a better theme. Join us as we build on last year’s success of nearly 560 gala attendees and the most impressive silent auction we have had in recent memory. You won’t find a better way to kickoff MINEXCHANGE 2025.

As we look ahead to 2025, we do have two critical programs that need your support: our ABET committee provides Program Evaluators for the ABET accreditation process at universities and without them, we won’t have programs that qualify for Professional Engineer or Geologist licensure. Our Ph.D. Fellowship and Career Development Grant program has awarded 22 Ph.D. Fellowships and 18 Career Development grants made a major impact to U.S. higher education. Simply put, without your support, these programs cannot sustain.It is my pleasure to share the great news we have enjoyed over the last year as well as the excitement we have for 2025, but it is most important to recognize that we are making crucial steps forward to inspire the next generation to meet the needs of a mineral-rich future. Our Foundation is committed to improving the supply of minerals and access to the energy and materials they produce by harnessing the power of education and outreach. Thank you for helping us bring this mission and vision to life.

Best,

Tom Rauch
SME Foundation President