Hoffman Estates, Ill. (January 11, 2022) –
The Collision Repair Education Foundation is excited to announce that 41 secondary and post-secondary schools in the United States will benefit from Benchmark grants funded through the efforts of twelve devoted I-CAR Committees. A variety of fundraising methods were employed, generating $131,250 in funds that will aid the industry’s future generation in becoming prepared for a career in collision repair. Eligibility for these awards was achieved by applying for the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 2021 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grant.
“In 2021, our I-CAR field team worked with CREF to develop a more strategic, disciplined approach to reach out and support more schools. This new approach gave our committees better insight and understanding of the Benchmark Grant process and its requirements. With this collaborative effort and data collection, we were better equipped to track and support the process and provide additional help to the schools for a better opportunity to receive additional funding,” stated Terry Ticel, I-CAR Director, Field Sales. “The fundraisers were determined by each of the participating committees and supported by their members and the CREF staff. These committees did an outstanding job in the support of their schools, giving them an additional financial infusion to fortify their programs to better educate and prepare their students for a career in the collision industry.”
“The funding raised by these local volunteer I-CAR committees for their local collision programs is crucial for these programs to afford the needed tools, equipment, and supplies which their budgets don’t always allow for,” Brandon Eckenrode, Managing Director of the Foundation, shared. “Thank you to all the committees who have been active at the local level organizing these fundraisers with CREF! The local collision students seeing and meeting the industry members in their market is essential to keeping the students motivated to stay within the industry. We look forward to collaborating with even more I-CAR committees in 2022.”
The Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants recognize schools that excel at educating students in collision repair, but due to strained school budgets, the programs require additional financial assistance. Recipient schools use these funds to provide the tools, equipment and supplies necessary to enhance their students’ learning experience and elevate the caliber of their graduates, ensuring that graduates are prepared to successfully enter the workforce upon graduation. Applications for the 2022 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants will be available online in January 2022.
The twelve I-CAR Committees and the grants they bestowed include:
Atlanta I-CAR Committee
- Athens Technical College (Athens, GA): $3,500
- Chattahoochee Technical College (Jasper, GA): $9,000
- Etowah High School (Woodstock, GA): $12,500
- Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, GA): $3,000
- North Georgia Technical College (Clarkesville, GA): $5,000
- Paulding County High School (Dallas, GA): $10,000
Arizona I-CAR Committee:
- East Valley Institute of Technology (Mesa, AZ): $2,500
- Gateway Community College – Central City Campus (Phoenix, AZ): $2,500
- West-MEC (Phoenix, AZ): $2,500
Broward County I-CAR Committee:
- Sheridan Technical College (Hollywood, FL): $500
Columbus Collision Education Group
- EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH): $500
- Fort Hayes Career Center (Columbus, OH): $500
- Miami Valley Career Center (Englewood, OH): $500
- Waite High School (Toledo, OH): $500
- Washington County Career Center (Marietta, OH): $500
Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee
- Berks Career & Technology Center (Oley, PA): $2,000
- Central Montco Technical High School (Plymouth Meeting, PA): $2,500
- Eastern Center for Arts & Technology (Willow Grove, PA): $4,000
- Forbes Road Career & Technology Center (Monroeville, PA): $3,000
- Lebanon County Career & Technology Center (Lebanon, PA): $500
- Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools (Piscataway, NJ): $1,250
- Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center (New Kensington, PA): $4,000
- Rosedale Technical College (Pittsburgh, PA): $2,250
- Salem County Career & Technical High School (Woodstown, NJ): $1,250
Indianapolis I-CAR Committee
- Prosser Career Education Center (New Albany, IN): $2,500
- Walker Career Center (Indianapolis, IN): $2,500
Knoxville I-CAR Committee
- TCAT (Knoxville, TN): $2,000
- TCAT (Morristown, TN): $2,000
- Greene Technical Center (Greeneville, TN): $1,000
Minnesota State I-CAR Committee
- Hennepin Technical College (Eden Prairie, MN): $1,000
- Minnesota State College Southeast (Winona, MN): $1,000
- South Central College (North Mankato, MN): $1,000
Nashville I-CAR Committee
- Lincoln College of Technology (Nashville, TN): $5,000
- Northwest High School (Clarksville, TN): $4,500
Northern Virginia I-CAR Committee
- Dowell J. Howard Center (Winchester, VA): $5,000
- Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (Leesburg, VA): $5,000
- Tidewater Community College (Chesapeake, VA): $3,000
Southern NJ I-CAR Committee
- Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools (Piscataway, NJ): $4,000
- Salem County Career & Technical High School (Woodstown, NJ): $7,000
St. Louis I-CAR Committee
- Lewis and Clark Career Center (St. Charles, MO): $3,500
- North Technical High School (Florissant, MO): $3,500
- South Technical High School (Sunset Hills, MO): $3,500
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, Managing Director, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org. Monetary donations can be made online.
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, please call 888-722-3787 or email info@ed-foundation.org.
