The support of NFPA members has enabled the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation to achieve much in its first few years of existence. A list of donors can be found here. With your help, we have:

• Launched an innovative recruitment program—called the NFPA Fluid Power Challenge, which has used fluid power to engage the imagination and creativity of 310 middle school students at 34 schools in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
• Expanded support for new fluid power education materials—to a total of 15 project grants, introducing and elevating pneumatic and hydraulic instruction at 13 different universities and technical schools.
• Awarded a major research grant—to Purdue University for a project dealing with the control of hydraulic systems using integrated energy recovery.

As we look ahead, and recognize the great need that remains, we seek your help in continuing to advance these initiatives. Here are the objectives we have set for 2010. Click on the links below for more information and a description of what you can do to help us achieve them.

Recruitment   click here

• Grow the Fluid Power Challenge to 20 locally-organized events, expanding the pool of students exposed to our technology as part of this innovative program.
• Provide up to 5 grants to help teachers interested in hosting a Challenge in their classrooms cover the cost of the program materials.

Education   click here

• Expand the number of NFPA educator members with project grants to develop fluid power education materials to 20.

Research  click here

• Award a second major research grant to help develop the technologies the industry needs to stay competitive and meet the needs of our customers.

As you can tell by the suggested activities, we are hoping to engage much more than your financial support in the fulfillment of Foundation objectives this year. Donations are needed and welcome, but so is your time, attention and participation in our efforts.  With your continued support these important objectives for our industry will be achieved.

Best regards,

Allen Carlson
Chairman, NFPA Education & Technology Foundation

P.S. One final note—as we have done in past years, your upcoming NFPA dues invoice will include a convenient way for you to make a donation to the Foundation. Many of our members view this as their annual opportunity to provide support for these activities. This year we will be giving you the option to direct your donation to the objective you consider most important. I encourage all NFPA members to use this opportunity to help us direct our efforts to the best advantage of the fluid power industry.