Established in 2016, the SAME Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of SAME with a singular compelling purpose: to Foster Engineering Leadership for the Nation. By leveraging the charitable capacity of our Society and of engineering and related professions, the SAME Foundation is investing in programs that provide Society members, America’s youth, veterans, and others within the engineering community unmatched opportunities to develop and grow personally and professionally.
The SAME Foundation is embarking on a new fundraising campaign to generate the resources needed to deliver on its compelling purpose, including underwriting the SAME Leader Development Program, which is now accepting applications for its fourth class this fall.
As SAME moves ahead in its second century, the challenges facing national security and our A/E/C community continue to grow in complexity and urgency. Nations and non-state actors are striving to change the balance of world order. Technology and civilization are accelerating rapidly. Disruption is constant. Extreme weather and climate change pose dynamic and dangerous risks to mission-critical assets. Material scarcity, capacity shortfalls, artificial intelligence and machine learning, competing access to finite resources, even global pandemics, are impacting our ability to plan, design, build, and maintain the infrastructure needed to sustain a secure nation underpinned by a resilient economy. In order to address these and other future challenges, our nation must have a steady pipeline of quality and dedicated leaders and engineers.
A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
Over the past year, the SAME Foundation has built a robust action plan to help ensure America has the technical talent needed to address future national security infrastructure challenges. It consists of five distinct tracks to engage and inspire future engineers and STEM leaders.
1. Grow SAME’s National Leader Development Program
To help develop the next generation of world-class military, government civilian, and industry leaders, SAME established a Leader Development Program in 2019 that is fully supported by the SAME Foundation. This premier leader development opportunity pushes participants to embrace individual strengths, team dynamics, and a commitment to service. Your donation will help expand this program to reach many more future leaders.
2. Prepare Veterans for Success in the A/E/C Profession
America’s veterans have selflessly served our nation and acquired unique skills and training that can greatly benefit the engineering profession. SAME and the SAME Foundation are focused on helping veterans and active duty servicemembers become better qualified while in uniform and prepared for when they transition to the private sector. Your donation will support credentialing-related programs and career transition workshops.
3. Enhance the Mentoring Capacity of the Society
Mentoring is a fundamental component of SAME’s mission and the SAME Foundation’s objective to build leaders and ensure a pipeline of STEM professionals for the nation’s needs. Your donation will help establish mentoring opportunities, provide for mentoring resources and speakers, fund mentor training of young professionals, and support Post-level mentoring programs.
4. Improve K-12 STEM Outreach at the Post Level
To identify, nurture, and guide the next generation of STEM leaders, the SAME Foundation aspires to support efforts that introduce more K-12 students to the A/E/C profession. Your donation will help enable Posts to engage in community STEM events, develop local camps, and provide scholarships to students pursuing engineering, science, and technology careers.
5. Inspire High School and College Students to Pursue Engineering/STEM Careers
SAME’s Engineering & Construction Camps have an impressive record over 20 years of inspiring high school students to pursue careers in engineering and STEM-related fields—many of whom have gone on to become leaders in our industry. Supported by the SAME Foundation, the Society has developed a program that will help young professionals from the A/E/C community serve as camp mentors. Your donation will enhance these efforts by providing scholarships for camp participants and stipends for mentors.
PROGRAM IMPACT
“Attending the SAME/Marine Corps Engineering & Construction Camp has been one of the most life-changing and interesting experiences I have gone through. Every day, there were so many new and exciting feats to accomplish and concepts to learn. Through the duration of the camp, I was part of the Bravo Squad. It was led by three amazing mentors, and during the week, team-building exercises brought us together as a group and strengthened our teamwork. We may not have been the top team, but we were constant contenders and we had great morale and inspiration no matter what.”
– Gabriel Goudie, 2021 Engineering & Construction Camp Participant
“The quality of content far surpassed what I thought would be presented to us. The speakers, the workshops, the time put in from SAME National was impressive. Through the Leader Development Program, understanding how I operate, not only as a leader but as a team member, really helped to form my vision of myself as a leader. I’ve been serving as a Post board member since the late 2000s, and I don’t plan to stop serving. I’d like to lead my Post as President some day and achieve recognition as Fellow.”
– Ree Miskimon, 2021 Leader Development Program Class Graduate
PAYING IT FORWARD
The SAME Foundation has established a target to raise $1,000,000 during the Second Century Campaign, which ends in 2025. We need your help! No matter the amount you choose, you can feel good knowing that you are doing more than just talking about the issues facing the engineering community’s future…you are taking action. The SAME Foundation needs your support to ensure we have the leaders for a secure and stronger future.
Help make a lasting difference. Become a Second Century Campaign Supporter of the SAME Foundation today. America’s future is bright. Let’s help make it brighter.
