You can “Fuel the Future” of the collision industry by potentially receiving a $50,000 upgrade to your collision program through the I-CAR® Education Foundation’s “Ultimate Collision Education Makeover” grant.
 
The I-CAR Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, whose goal is to fuel the future of the industry by enriching opportunities for students in collision education. The Education Foundation exists solely on donations from the entire collision industry, from large insurance companies to local one-location collision repair shops all over North America. Our donation program, the “Collision Repair Education Campaign,” collects these donations and redistributes them in the form of grants and scholarships to collision repair schools, students, and instructors.
   
Our goal with the “Ultimate Collision Education Makeover” grant is to honor a school that has been doing an outstanding job educating students in collision repair, but needs some financial assistance to improve their program’s materials and equipment. With school budgets usually never large enough, we are honored to have the opportunity to bridge the program’s financial gap and to really make a difference in the lives of the students studying collision repair.
 
Any not-for-profit or public school with a collision program is eligible for this grant. The school chosen as the winner for this grant will be able to purchase and/or receive equipment and supplies valued at up to $50,000.  A list of what the school is requesting through this grant is required as an attachment to the application.
 
The “Ultimate Collision Education Makeover” grant debuted in 2009 when Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School (Jefferson Hills, PA) was chosen as the recipient of the award. 
 
If you are asking, “Why should I apply if there is only one winner?”, consider the fact that the 35 other schools that applied for the 2009 award but did not win the top prize have received $130,000+ in donated supplies and equipment, as the Foundation used the $50,000 “wish lists” in the applications to match up donations from industry supporters. 
 
The application can be found by clicking here. It must be printed from the web site and mailed back to the I-CAR Education Foundation with the appropriate signatures and attachments. The postmark deadline is September 7, 2010.
 
If you have any questions about the grant, please contact me at 888.722.3787, Ext. 282.
 
We are proud to be able to offer this “Ultimate Collision Education Makeover” grant and we look forward to receiving your application.
 
 
Best Regards,
 
Melissa Marscin
I-CAR Education Foundation
Assistant Director of Grant Programs