The Collision Repair Education Foundation has opened the application process for its Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grants, which offers funding to support high school and post-secondary auto collision school programs.
The grant program incorporates the foundation’s “Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark” in which the foundation classifies schools into three tiers:
- Tier 1: Advanced
- Tier 2: Proficient
- Tier 3: Developing
The criteria for each level includes the number of hours of instruction and curriculum in place, as well as what tools, equipment and supplies a school uses to prepare its students for employment in the collision industry. The foundation determines your program’s tier based on the information you provide in your application
If there is something that a school needs to advance to the next level, the foundation’s grant application will allow a school to request that item. The goal is to help every school acquire the resources to eventually achieve a Tier 1: Advanced school designation. Schools at Tier 1 status can request support for items that further advance their program. A committee will select the winners of the awards and determine what items off the wish lists each school will receive.
You can find a list of 2016 winners here. Here are all the details you should know about this opportunity:
Grant Type: Auto Collision Repair
Deadline: June 1, 2018 (winning schools will be announced during the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas)
Amount: Up to $50,000
Instructors are advised to begin the application early, and industry professionals are encouraged to get involved with the makeover grant by working with their local school’s collision instructors to help them apply.
Eligibility and Requirements:
Only one application is allowed per school, so coordinate with other instructors and other school personnel as to who is the main contact for the application.
In order to qualify for the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant, the school must have a full-time collision repair program in the United States, but priority will go to not-for-profit or public schools.
In addition, in order to be eligible, the applicant’s school must have completed the Education Foundation’s 2017-2018 Collision Repair School Solutions Survey on-line.
Where to Apply:
The application form can be found here.
