CREF awards more than $500,000 in school grants through industry support

The Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants announced will go to help improve 173 schools in 37 states with over 6,700 students enrolled in collision repair training programs. The Makeover grant program incorporates the Foundation’s Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark that the Foundation launched in 2016. Under the new program developed by the Foundation, schools are classified into three tiers based upon criteria including the number of hours of instruction, curriculum in place, along with what tools, equipment, and supplies a school uses to prepare their students for employment in the collision industry. The grants awarded will assist schools to advance to the next tier, or to allow top tier schools to further expand their program’s capabilities. “Collision repair training programs are facing tremendous budgetary pressure. It is difficult for many to maintain their program at current capabilities, no less invest in increasing their abilities to satisfy the industry’s current and future workforce needs,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations/Administration for the Foundation. “The Makeover grant program is designed to help collision schools get the much needed tools, equipment and supplies they couldn’t get otherwise and increase their capabilities. For the third year in a row, every school that applied received some level of support through both grants and in-kind donations.” Collision repair facilities, insurance companies and suppliers interested in supporting school grants should contact Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected]. The grants awarded include:I-CAR COMMITTEE AWARDS Atlanta I-CAR Committee Athens Tech College: $5,000 (Athens, GA) Chattahoochee Technical College: $15,000 (Jasper, GA) Maxwell High School of Technology: $10,000 (Lawrenceville, GA) North Georgia Technical College: $7,500 (Clarkesville, GA)Broward I-CAR Committee Sheridan Technical College: $5,000 (Hollywood, FL)Charlotte I-CAR Committee Central Piedmont Community College: $12,000 (Charlotte, NC)Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee Eastern Center for Arts and Technology: $2,500 (Willow Grove, PA)Northern Virginia I-CAR Committee Chantilly HS STEM Academy: $5,000 (Chantilly, VA) C.S. Monroe Technology Center: $5,000 (Leesburg, VA) Dowell J Howard Center: $5,000 (Winchester, VA) Fauquier High School: $5,000 (Warrenton, VA)Phoenix I-CAR Committee East Valley Institute of Technology: $5,000 (Mesa, AZ) Gateway Community College: $5,000 (Phoenix, AZ) West-MEC: $5,000 (Phoenix, AZ)Raleigh I-CAR Committee Westover High School: $12,000 (Fayetteville, NC)St. Louis I-CAR Committee Lake Career & Technical Center: $4,500 (Camdenton, MO) Lewis and Clark Career Center: $4,500 (Saint Charles, MO) Nichols Career Center: $4,500 (Jefferson City, MO) North Technical High School: $4,500 (Florissant, MO) Ranken Technical College: $4,500 (St. Louis, MO) Rolla Technical Institute: $4,500 (Rolla, MO) South Technical High School: $4,500 (Sunset Hills, MO)Tennessee I-CAR CommitteesKnoxville Greene Technology Center: $5,000 (Greenville, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology: $5,000 (Morristown, TN)Nashville Northwest High School: $7,500 (Clarksville, TN) Franklin County High School: $2,000 (Winchester, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology: $2,000 (Livingston, TN)COMPANY AWARDS AkzoNobel Matching Grant Ivy Tech Community College: $5,200 (Fort Wayne, IN)Caliber Collision School Grants Hudson Valley Community College: $3,000 (Troy, NY) Laramie County Community College: $3,000 (Cheyenne, WY) Lorenzo Walker Technical College: $3,000 (Naples, FL) Morgan Community College: $3,000 (Ft. Morgan, CO) Tidewater Community College: $3,000 (Chesapeake, VA)CCC Classroom Enhancement Grant Judson High School: $11,000 (Converse, TX)Chrysler School Grant Regional Career Technical Center: $5,000 (Saline, MI)Hertz Grants Eastside Technical Center: $3,000 (Lexington, KY) GST BOCES Coopers Education Center: $3,000 (Painted Post, NY) Mid-Coast School of Technology: $3,000 (Rockland, ME) Randolph Technical Center: $3,000 (Elkins, WV) Tazewell County Career and Technical Center: $3,000 (Tazewell, VA)GEICO Grants Cuesta College: $5,000 (San Luis Obispo, CA) Gaithersburg High School: $5,000 (Gaithersburg, MD) Miami Northwestern Sr High: $5,000 (Miami, FL) Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College: $5,000 (Miami Lakes, FL) Morrisville State College: $5,000 (Morrisville, NY) St. Philip's College: $5,000 (San Antonio, TX)Honda Grants Fayetteville Technical Community College: $4,000 (Fayetteville, NC) Greenville Technical College: $4,000 (Greenville, SC) Ranken Technical College: $4,000 (St. Louis, MO)Liberty Mutual Insurance Grants Assabet Valley Regional Technical H.S.: $5,000 (Marlboro, MA) Bay Path: $5,000 (Charlton, MA) Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School: $5,000 (Littleton, MA) Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School: $5,000 (South Easton, MA)Service King Grants Eden Area ROP: $3,000 (Hayward, CA) Prosser Career Education Center: $3,000 (New Albany, IN) Rosedale Technical College: $3,000 (Pittsburgh, PA) Stanly Community College: $3,000 (Albemarle, NC) Trumbull Career and Technical Center: $3,000 (Warren, OH)Thomas Coleman Memorial Grant El Camino College; $10,000 (Torrance, CA)Progressive Laptop Grants Ivy Tech Community College (Fort Wayne, IN) 15 laptops Texas State Technical College (Harlingen, TX) 10 laptopsNationwide Insurance Grants Ft. Hayes Career Center: $5,000 (Columbus, OH) Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology: $5,000 (Lancaster, PA)Western Michigan Bodyshop Association Grant Kent Career Technical Center: $2,000 (Grant Rapids, MI)$25,000 Collision Repair Education Foundation Awards Center for Academics & Technology (Calumet City, IL) Texas Southmost College (Brownsville, TX)$25,000 Insurance Auto Auction Award Kennedy King College (Chicago, IL )$10,000 Collision Repair Education Foundation Award Warren Tech (Lakewood, CO)$1,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover GrantsAlabama Earnest Pruett Center of Technology (Hollywood, AL) Etowah County Career Technical Center (Atalla, AL)Arkansas University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College (North Little Rock, AR)California Collision Career Institute (Yorba Linda, CA) Dos Palos High School (Dos Palo, CA)Colorado Aims Community College (Windsor, CO)Delaware Hodgson Vo-Tech (Newark, DE)Florida Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, FL) Lake Technical College (Eustis, FL) Manatee Technical College (Bradenton, FL) Seminole High School (Sanford, FL) SouthTech Academy (Boynton Beach, FLIdaho College of Southern Idaho (Twin Falls, ID) Dennis Technical Education Center (Boise, ID) Kootenai Technical Education Campus (Rathdrum, ID) Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, ID) North Idaho College (Coeur d'Alene, ID)Illinois Highland Community College (Freeport, IL Marengo Comm HS Dist 1554 (Marengo, IL)Indiana Area30 Career Center (Greencastle, IN) Hinds Career Center (Elwood, IN)Iowa Des Community College (Ankeny, IA) Moines Area Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, IA)Kansas Butler Community College (El Dorado, KS) Kansas City Kansas Community College (Kansas City, KS) Washburn University Institute of Technology (Topeka, KS)Kentucky Big Sandy Community and Technical College (Prestonsburg, KY)Maine Oxford Hills Technical School (Norway, ME)Maryland North Point High School for Science Technology and Industry (Waldorf, MD)Massachusetts Essex Technical High School (Hathorne, MA) Greater Lawrence Technical High School (Andover, MA) Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School (Palmer, MA)Minnesota Hennepin Technical College (Brooklyn Park, MN) Minnesota State College Southeast (Winona, MN) Ridgewater College (Willmar, MN) South Central College (North Mankato, MN)Missouri Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center (Cape Girardeau, MO) Franklin Technology Center (Joplin, MO) Lex La-Ray Technical Center (Lexington, MO) Perryville Area Career & Technology Center (Perryville, MO)Montana Montana State University Billings City College (Billings, MT)Nebraska Metropolitan Community College (Omaha, NE) Southeast Community College (Milford, NE)New Jersey Thomas A. Edison Career & Technical Academy (Elizabeth, NJ)New York CA BOCES-CTE Center (Olean, NY Cattaraugus Allegany Boces Center (Ellicottville, NY) Erie 1 BOCES Kenton Career & Technical Center (Tonawanda, NY) Erie Community College South (Orchard Park, NY) GST Boces Bush Campus (Elmira, NY) HFM Career and Technical Center (Johnstown, NY) LoGuidice Center- Erie 2 BOCES (Fredonia, NY) W.D.Ormsby Educational Center (East Aurora, NY)North Carolina Cleveland Community College (Shelby, NC) Forsyth Tech Community College (Winston Salem, NC) Iredell-Statesville Career Academy & Technical School (Troutman, NC) Randolph Community College (Asheboro, NC) Sandhills Community College (Pinehurst, NC) Southwest High School (Jacksonville, NC) Weaver Academy (Greensboro, NC)North Dakota North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton, ND)Ohio EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH) Grant Career Center (Bethel, OH) Knox County Career Center (Mount Vernon, OH) Live Oaks Career Campus (Milford, OH) Miami Valley Career Center (Englewood, OH) Waite High School (Toledo, Ohio)Oklahoma Indian Capital Technology Center (Tahlequah, OK)Oregon Clackamas Community College (Oregon City, OR)Pennsylvania Berks Career and Technology Center (Oley, PA) Central Montco Technical High School (Plymouth Meeting, PA) Chester County Technical College High School Pennick's Bridge campus (West Grove, PA) Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School (Mechanicsburg, PA) Dauphin County Technical School (Harrisburg, PA) Forbes Road CTC (Monroeville, PA) Lebanon County Career and Technology Center (Lebanon, PA) Northern Westmoreland Career & Technical Center (New Kensington, PA) Reading-Muhlenburg Career and Technology Center (Reading, PA) Steel Center (Clairton, PA) TCHS Pickering (Phoenixville, PA) West Side Career and Technology Center (Kingston, PA)South Carolina Beaufort Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (Ridgeland, SC)Tennessee Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Athens, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Chattanooga, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Knoxville, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Paris, TN) Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Shelbyville, TN)Texas Alvin ISD, Hensler CTE Campus (Manvel, TX) Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX) Eastfield College (Mesquite, TX) Kingwood Park High School (Kingwood, TX) R L Turner High School (Carrollton, TX) Texarkana College (Texarkana, TX) Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX)Virginia CATEC (Charlottesville, VA) New Horizons (Hampton, VA) Rockbridge County High School (Lexington, VA) Triplett Tech (Mount Jackson, VA) Northern Neck Technical Center (Warsaw, VA)Washington State Bellingham Technical College (Bellingham, WA) Renton Tech College (Renton, WA) Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA) Wenatchee Valley Tech (Wenatchee, WA)West Virginia Mercer County Technical Education Center (Princeton, WV) United Technical Center (Clarksburg, WV)Wisconsin Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire, WI) Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, WI) Freedom High School (Freedom, WI) Southwest Tech (Fennimore, WI)