Collision Repair Education Foundation

News & Events

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Upcoming Winter Virtual Golf Fundraiser To Support Local Collision Programs

The Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) winter virtual golf fundraiser, exclusively sponsored by PPG Automotive, will support local high school and college automotive collision repair school programs. CREF is collaborating with 90 I-CAR volunteer committee groups nationwide and individuals can ensure that 80% of their registration fee will be re-invested back into local collision schools. Funds raised will help ensure these technical programs have the needed tools, equipment, and supplies so that the students receive the best technical education possible and better prepare them for employment in the automotive collision industry.

This event will be a private in-game tournament within TopGolf’s online golfing game, which will be held from Friday, November 20th through Sunday, December 20th. Golfers will be able to play an unlimited number of rounds of virtual golf during those 30 days, while viewing an in-game leaderboard to see how they are doing compared to others golfing from around the country. With the event being virtual, zero actual golfing skill is required and golfers can play from the comfort of their home.

Ready to play?

  • Officially register for the virtual golf fundraiser below. If you are supporting a local I-CAR Volunteer Committee, make sure to select them and $20 of your $25 registration fee will be re-invested back into your local high school/college collision school programs. Not supporting a specific I-CAR Committee? Select “CREF General Fund” and your registration fee will help those collision programs in the most need nationwide. 
  • Download the free “WGT Golf” app to your phone/tablet or visit www.WGT.com to create your player profile. Start practicing your virtual golf swing between now and November 20th.
  • On November 20th, registered players will be emailed information on how to access the private in-game tournament and will have until December 20th to play as many rounds as they would like. There will be an in-game leaderboard for you to see how you are doing compared to others around the country and the golfer with the lowest score will receive (2) donated passes to attend the Ford Performance Racing School ($4,000 value).



 

Questions regarding the fundraiser can be directed to CREF Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

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CREF TopGolf Chicago Fundraiser Friday, November 20th

Join the Collision Repair Education Foundation “fore” a fun night that will benefit Chicago’s Kennedy King College collision program as well as other national high school and college collision programs. This event will be attended by collision industry members to network, casually golf, and raise additional funds for the future professionals of the collision industry.

TopGolf Schaumburg, IL Fundraiser

12050 Progress Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL

Friday, November 20th – 6-9pm

Registration:


 

If your company would like to participate as a sponsor, contact Brandon Eckenrode.

 

Download the flyer

CREF TopGolf Chicago Fundraiser

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Memorial Fund Announced for Former CREF Executive Director Ron Ray

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (April 2, 2020) – A memorial fund has been established by the Collision Repair Education Foundation in honor of their former Executive Director, Ron Ray, who passed away over the weekend. Ron was the Education Foundation’s Executive Director from 1997-2007. The fund will support the collision students and schools that Ron supported throughout his career.

Prior to working for the Collision Repair Education Foundation, Ron worked at Porsche Cars NA and American Honda. After his tenure at CREF, he continued his career at I-CAR for the Education segment and then as an instructor at Lincoln Tech-Nashville prior to retirement.

“Ron was instrumental in making CREF the great organization it is today,” said Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive Director. “Given his passion for collision education, Ron would be gratified to know that so many of the schools and students he cared about are being assisted in his memory. He will be missed by so many in the industry, and I was honored to call him a colleague and a friend.”

Gwen Ray, Ron’s wife, reflected on Ron’s achievements: “Ron had a passion for what he did, whether it was working for OEM or teaching. He wanted to make a difference; that is what was most important to him. Over the eight years he taught at Lincoln Tech, he had received several letters from students and that was his reward. He loved what he did-period.”

Industry members interested in making a contribution to the Ron Ray Memorial Fund can visit: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org and select “Donate” or https://53713.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 and use the dropdown box to select “Ron Ray Memorial Fund”.

We also encourage any industry members to submit stories and photos of Ron from throughout his career. We will post the stories and pictures on our website. All photos and stories can be set to info@ed-foundation.org.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

 

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COLLISION REPAIR EDUCATION FOUNDATION’S REMAINING SPRING CAREER FAIR SCHEDULE INCLUDES TWO EVENTS ON AUTO SHOW FLOORS

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL (February 26, 2020) – The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) continues its efforts to connect high school and college transportation (collision, auto service, etc) students with local and national industry employers through their career fair events. There are 10 events remaining this spring school semester, with the Oklahoma City and Denver events taking part in conjunction with their Auto Shows. Not only do these Auto Show events help connect the hundreds of attending students but also showcases the industry to the attending general public. The remaining spring career fair schedule includes:

  • Chicago, IL  (3/6) – Donald E. Stephens Convention Center – Part of World of Wheels/AutoRama Student Day – 1,200 students anticipated

 

  • Oklahoma City, OK  (3/6)  – Part of Oklahoma Auto Show – 900 students anticipated

 

  • Salt Lake City, UT  (3/13)  – Mountain America Expo Center (Sandy, UT) – Part of World of Wheels/AutoRama Student Day – 500 students anticipated

 

  • Boston, MA  (3/20) –Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center – Part of World of Wheels/AutoRama Student Day – 500 students anticipated

 

  • New York City, NY  (4/2)- NYADI College of Automotive & Diesel Technology (Jamaica, NY) – 250 students anticipated

 

  • Denver, CO  (4/3) – Colorado Convention Center – Part of Denver Auto Show – 300 students anticipated

 

  • Orlando/Tampa Bay, FL  (4/9) – Hillsborough Community College Ybor Training Center (Tampa, FL) – 400 students anticipated

 

  • Atlanta, GA  (4/21)- Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, GA) – 250 students anticipated

 

  • North & South Carolina (4/30)- Gateway Conference Center (Richburg, SC) Part of Carolinas Collision Association Educational Conference – 200 students anticipated

 

  • Philadelphia, PA  (5/7)– Technical College High School Brandywine Campus (Downington, PA) Part of ACE Event – 200 students anticipated

 

Kim Jackson, Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) Marketing & Communications Director noted, “When the CADA partnered with CREF last year, and put the automotive career fair on the Denver Auto Show floor, we gave students who were about to graduate from tech school career options. Like any of us, students wat a choice in their careers. At the career fair, they got a chance to talk at length with franchised new car dealers and collision repair shops to determine which path was best for them. Our dealers loved the event! One dealer said this was the best way for his team to identify auto tech students. Another dealer hired a couple students on the spot and was the first company to register for the event this year.”

 

Peter Hodges, President of the Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association (MADA) of Oklahoma City, noted, “We are excited to be working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation to be organizing our first career fair event on the Oklahoma City Auto Show floor and the fact that nearly 900 students are registered for the event is incredible. Both the auto service and collision industry’s are facing the same issue of an aging workforce and need for entry-level staff so collaborating on this initiative will help introduce students to local and national employers at the event. Having the employers on the show floor when the OKC Auto Show is open to the public also helps showcase the need to attending parents and younger attendees.”

 

For additional information and/or to register for a career fair event, contact Collision Repair Education Foundation Development and Marketing Coordinator Tiffany Bulak at Tiffany.Bulak@ed-foundation.org.

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About the Collision Repair Education Foundation:

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

 

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Audatex Supports Collision Repair Industry Education with Over $2M in Software Donations and $25K in Unrestricted Funds Through the Collision Repair Education Foundation

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (February 12, 2020) –

As part of its dedication to the future of the collision repair industry and safe and proper repairs, Audatex, a Solera Company, donated over $2 million in software subscriptions to schools with collision repair educational programs in the United States in partnership with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, an initiative that provides students with the opportunity to learn on the same software utilized in today’s shops.

An additional $25,000 donation from Audatex provides unrestricted funds to support collision repair students. Audatex made a five-year commitment in 2018 to provide these funds to ensure collision repair training programs have access to the tools and resources needed to successfully train the next generation of technicians in the ever-evolving repair industry.

“We are proud to partner with organizations like CREF to invest in the future of the automotive repair industry and create innovative opportunities for hands-on learning using our industry-leading technology,” said Don Mikrut, Vice President, Solera Global SMR Service Sales.

The software donations from Audatex are part of the company’s collaboration with the Foundation on the Audatex Educational Institutions Program which also provides eligible schools with access to online courses and training, a custom curriculum that includes CEUs and I-CAR points, and technical support. This partnership has provided Audatex estimating software to nearly 300 schools’ collision repair programs in 41 states, a number that increases each year.

Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development for the Foundation said, “I would like to thank Audatex for their continued support of the industry’s pre-employment education system. Access to the latest technology during their training is a key driver of student success when they start their career in the collision industry.”

To qualify for the Audatex Educational Institutions Programs, technical schools in the United States and Canada offering a collision repair program must complete the Educational Institutions Program contact form found at Audatex.us.

Industry members interested in supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please call 888-722-3787 or email info@ed-foundation.org.

 

 

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CREF Invites Dealers to Become Part of the Solution with New Initiative – Over 500 Collision School Programs Requesting Parts

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (February 12, 2020) – The Collision Repair Education Foundation is excited to announce the creation of their new “Part of the Solution” initiative which provides dealers and dealer groups with an opportunity to support future technicians by donating leftover parts that would otherwise be discarded, allowing students to train on current model vehicles.

Part of the Solution

“Our philosophy is a higher quality program will attract a higher quality student which will make for a higher quality industry employee,” stated Christen Battaglia, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Foundation. “When the technicians entering the industry are well-trained on current vehicles, using modern equipment and tools, the entire automotive industry benefits.”

Parts are the most frequent need reported by schools with collision repair education programs, including fenders, hoods, bumper covers and a variety of other parts. Without access to these parts, many students are learning on vehicles and parts that are at least a decade old, but with the frequent advances in technology, this leaves student unequipped for a successful career after graduation.

Recognizing that most dealers trash thousands of dollars’ worth of parts monthly, the Foundation developed the “Part of the Solution” initiative in order to connect local schools with these dealers and dealer groups. CREF has compiled a list of over 500 schools across the U. S. in need of scrap parts that can be donated at little to no cost to the donor facility.

“Hendrick Automotive Group is excited to partner with CREF’s initiative to provide students with current vehicle parts to practice OE repair procedures on that will better prepare them for today’s Collision repair environment,” said Roger Mesiemore, Corporate Director of Collision and Service Operations for Hendrick Automotive Group which has already signed on to support the future generation of technicians by participating in “Part of the Solution.”

Dealers and dealer groups can also support future technicians by donating professional uniforms through the Foundation’s Student Technician Shirt Project. Supporters purchase professional Cintas technician shirts for their local collision education programs, receiving a logo patch on the shirt in recognition of their dedication to the industry.

According to Battaglia, “Receiving professional uniforms fills students with a sense of pride and teaches them what it means to look professional in the workplace. It instills confidence in them, reminds them that plenty of us believe in them, and reaffirms that they will have support as they pursue their education and enter the automotive industry as well-trained professionals.”

Industry members interested in supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode at (312) 231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

Click here to download a listing of the 500 schools

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

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