The Collision Repair Education Foundation's (CREF's) 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grant winners were announced at the organization's second annual industry reception held during the SEMA show in Las Vegas, where more than $250,000 in grants were awarded.
More than 125 high school and college collision school programs from across the country applied for this grant and each of the 2013 winning schools will have their $50,000 wish list fulfilled through the Collision Repair Education Foundation and industry donors/supporters. In addition to the two Makeover grants that were provided by the Education Foundation, two additional Makeover grants were sponsored through AAA Northern California and the Atlanta I-CAR Volunteer Committee.
- 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 School Grant Secondary Winner: Saginaw Career Center (Saginaw, MI)
- 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 School Grant Post-Secondary Winner: Waubonsee Community College (Sugar Grove, IL)
- AAA Northern California - 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 School Grant Winner: Contra Costa College (San Pablo, CA)
- Atlanta I-CAR Committee 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 School Grant Winner: Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, GA)
The Foundation also awarded several runner-up Makeover grant schools and each of these schools will have $10,000 of their collision program wish lists fulfilled:
2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Post-Secondary Runner-Up School Recipients ($10,000):
- Greenville Technical College (Greenville, SC)
- Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX)
- Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (Lancaster, PA)
2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Secondary Runner-Up School Recipients ($10,000)
- Blue River Career Programs (Shelbyville, IN)
- Norwalk High School/Southeast ROP (Norwalk, CA)
- R.L. Turner High School (Carrollton, TX)
The goal of the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant is to honor a school that has been doing an outstanding job in educating students in collision repair, but needs some financial assistance to improve their program’s teaching materials and equipment. With strained school budgets, the Education Foundation and industry supporters have the opportunity to bridge the program’s financial gap and to make a difference in the lives of the students studying collision repair. As part of the Makeover grant application, schools provide an itemized wish list which can include any tools, supplies, and equipment that are needed by the collision program.
