Collision Schools Receive Over Half a Million Dollars via CREF’s 2024 Benchmark Grants to Support More Than 4,000 Future Repairers

Originally published at CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org

When a large group of people work together for a common goal, they can make a HUGE impact! Collision repair organizations have proven the truth of this sentiment through their continuing support of the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) Benchmark Grant program.

Thanks to the generosity multiple industry partners – both small and large – the Foundation is proud to announce that 80 collision schools will receive $536,000 in 2024 Benchmark Grant funding to financially support their efforts to educate the collision industry’s future workforce and ensure students graduate with the knowledge and skills to successfully fill the entry-level positions for which collision repair businesses so desperately need qualified help. Based on current enrollment numbers, these donations will immediately benefit the educational pursuits and make a difference in the lives of over 4,000 students training in these programs this year alone, as well as students who will enroll in upcoming years.

“Congratulations to the 2024 Benchmark Grant recipients!” says CREF Executive Director Brandon Eckenrode. “The Foundation is incredibly grateful to our industry partners for their continued support. I would also like to specifically recognize the instructors who put forth the time and energy to apply for the grants, an effort that shows their commitment to bettering their collision programs and, in turn, providing a quality technical education for their students that prepares them for entry-level employment in this industry. Collision repair programs – and those that move them forward – are the first line to supplying the industry’s future workforce, and these grants will help instructors with their limited program budgets as they build and innovate to meet the industry’s needs. CREF is pleased to play the unique role of directing industry support to collision programs in need and being a part of these students’ journeys into an exciting career path.”

“The Collision Repair Education Foundation is proud to be able to fund so many 2024 Benchmark Grants, which will have a huge impact on the educational pursuits of thousands of future industry professionals,” agrees Melissa Marscin, CREF Director of Operations and Impact. “Thank you to the many industry supporters and grant sponsors for their dedication to supporting the next generation of collision repairers through their educational institutions! With that support, these schools will have the funds to better train the industry’s future workforce and ensure their students will have a great advantage when starting the next part of their collision journey.

“Collision repair training programs are facing tremendous budgetary pressure, making it difficult for many instructors to even maintain their program at current capabilities, let alone invest in increasing their abilities to satisfy the industry’s current and future workforce needs,” she adds. “The goal of the Foundation’s Benchmark grants is to recognize schools that have been doing an outstanding job in educating students in collision repair…but need some financial assistance to improve their program’s teaching materials and equipment. CREF is honored to have the opportunity to bridge this financial gap and to make a difference in the lives of the students studying collision repair – thanks to the generosity of our industry, which enables us to actively ensure high school and college collision school programs graduate well-trained and capable collision students who are prepared for entry-level employment.”

Recipients of the 2024 Benchmark Grants were announced and recognized at CREF’s Instructor Breakfast and Benchmark Grant Awards, held on November 6 in Las Vegas during the 2024 SEMA Show.

Thanks to a generous $105,000 donation from State Farm®, 16 collision schools will receive Benchmark Grants to help maintain or enhance their educational offerings and ensure that the students graduating from their programs are prepared to enter a career in the collision repair industry. Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES LoGuidice Educational Center (Fredonia, NY) was awarded a $25,000 Benchmark Grant through CREF, while Oxford Hills Technical School (South Paris, ME) and Warren Tech (Lakewood, CO) each received $10,000 grants.

Eleven additional schools each received $5,000 grants through State Farm and CREF, as follows:

• Clearfield Advanced Auto – Autobody (Clearfield, UT)
• Gibson Technical Center (Reeds Spring, MO)
• Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center (Altoona, PA)
• GST BOCES Coopers Education Center (Painted Post, NY)
• Holmes County Career and Technical Center (Lexington, MS)
• Madison Oneida BOCES (Verona, NY)
• North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton, ND)
• Steel Center for Career and Technical Education (Jefferson Hills, PA)
• TCAT Elizabethton (Kingsport, TN)
• Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy (Elizabeth, NJ)
• Washburn Institute of Technology (Topeka, KS)

Additionally, State Farm’s donation funded $2,500 grants, awarded to Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, PA) and Tulsa Technology Center Broken Arrow Campus (Broken Arrow, OK).

LKQ continues to prove its dedication to high school and college collision schools and students through its generous support and sponsorship of CREF. This year, the company’s $70,000 donation funded nine Benchmark Grants. Stanly Community College (Albemarle, NC) was awarded $25,000, and a $10,000 grant was bestowed upon Contra Costa College (San Pablo, CA). The following seven schools were the recipients of $5,000 grants, funded by LKQ:

• Assabet Valley Technical High School (Marlboro, MA)
• Bismarck State College (Bismarck, ND)
• SUNY Morrisville (Morrisville, NY)
• Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
• W.D. Ormsby Educational Center (East Aurora, NY)
• Walker Career Center (Indianapolis, IN)
• Wilcox Technical High School (Meriden, CT)

General Motors once again demonstrated its commitment to the collision repair industry’s future with a generous $40,000 donation, which enabled CREF to fund eight Benchmark Grants. Each of the following schools received $5,000 to support their efforts to attract and retain new talent for the industry:

• Career Academy and Technical School (Troutman, NC)
• Dos Palos High School (Dos Palos, CA)
• Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, IA)
• Lorenzo Walker Technical College (Naples, FL)
• Santana High School (Santee, CA)
• South Central College (North Mankato, MN)
• Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Jackson (Jackson, TN)
• Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX)

Nationwide Insurance again partnered with CREF to support collision schools and students by donating $30,000 to fund Benchmark Grants for five schools’ collision education programs. Dauphin County Technical School (Harrisburg, PA) received a $10,000 Benchmark Grant. Additionally, Nationwide awarded $5,000 Benchmark Grants to:

• Des Moines Area Community College (Ankeny, IA)
• Northern Virginia Community College (Alexandria, VA)
• Rosedale Technical College (Pittsburgh, PA)
• West-MEC (Phoenix, AZ)

In collaboration with CREF, Classic Collision sponsored a $10,000 Benchmark Grant to benefit Lorenzo Walker Technical College (Naples, FL) and three $5,000 grants, awarded to the following programs:

• Bradley Central High School (Cleveland, TN)
• Minnesota State College Southeast (Winona, MN)
• Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Morristown, TN)

Crash Champions again partnered with CREF with a donation of $25,000 to provide a $10,000 Benchmark Grant to College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL) as well as $5,000 Benchmark Grants to three additional collision repair education programs:

• Aims Community College (Windsor, CO)
• Carroll County Career and Technology Center (Westminster, MD)
• Miami Northwestern Senior High School (Miami, FL)

The Enterprise Mobility Foundation funded Benchmark Grants to three collision repair educational programs through CREF. Kennedy-King College (Chicago, IL) was awarded a $15,000 Benchmark Grant. The following two schools each received $5,000:

• Norwalk High School (Norwalk, CA)
• South Side High School (Jackson, TN)

Wesco Group, a new supporter of the Foundation, showed just how much the industry’s future matters with a generous $25,000 donation, which provided $5,000 Benchmark Grants to five schools:

• El Camino College (Torrance, CA)
• Livermore High School (Livermore, CA)
• North Idaho College (Coeur d’Alene, ID)
• Ogden High School (Ogden, UT)
• Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center (Everett, WA)

OE Roundtable continued its support of the collision repair industry by sponsoring a $6,000 Benchmark Grant, which was awarded to Seward County Community College (Liberal, KS). An additional $15,000 donation from OE Roundtable was divided between three programs, with each receiving $5,000 grants:

• Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School (Charlton, MA)
• Kootenai Technical Education Campus (Rathdrum, ID)
• William M. Davies Career and Technical High School (Lincoln, RI)

CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC) is proud to announce that three CCC Classroom Enhancement Grants, totaling $15,000, have been awarded through CREF. EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH) received $10,000, and the other 2024 CCC Classroom Grant Award recipients (awarded $2,500 each) include:

• New York Automotive and Diesel Institute (Jamaica, NY)
• Norwalk High School (Norwalk, CA)

Honda continued its support of CREF – and the industry’s future generation of repair professionals – by donating $15,000 to fund three 2024 Benchmark Grants. The following schools were recipients of $5,000 Benchmark Grants:

• Area 30 Career Center (Greencastle, IN)
• Judson High School (Converse, TX)
• RD Anderson Applied Technical Center (Moore, SC)

CollisionRight funded two $5,000 Benchmark Grants, which were bestowed upon the following schools:

• Greene County Career Center (Xenia, OH)
• Miami Valley Career Technology Center (Clayton, OH)

Continuing its collaboration with CREF, Farmers Insurance^® donated $10,000 to fund two Benchmark Grants in support of collision repair education programs. Farmers Insurance awarded $5,000 grants to:

• JB Hensler College and Career Academy (Manvel, TX)
• Regional Occupational Center, Kern High School District (Bakersfield, CA)

Columbus Collision Education Group’s $5,000 donation funded a Benchmark Grant for Waite High School (Toledo, OH).

Thanks to the generosity of non-industry entity, J.W. Bagley Foundation, a $5,000 Benchmark Grant was awarded to Career Center of Southern Illinois (Red Bud, IL) to assist with maintaining its collision program.

Stellantis continued its support of the Foundation and collision schools by sponsoring a $5,000 Benchmark Grant to benefit Oakland Schools Technical Center Southeast (Royal Oak, MI).

CREF is also excited to announce that a dozen secondary and post-secondary schools and their students will benefit from Benchmark Grants funded through the efforts of six devoted I-CAR Committees. By employment of various fundraising methods, these six committees generated funds totaling $105,000, which will aid the industry’s future generation in becoming prepared for a career in collision repair.

“The funds raised by I-CAR committees across the country has allowed CREF to distribute Benchmark Grants that help collision repair educational programs ensure they are properly funded and equipped to train and prepare qualified entry-level technicians who will fill the industry’s need for fresh talent,” Eckenrode offers his appreciation of their efforts. “We’re grateful to all these participating committees for their ongoing support.”

The I-CAR Committees and the grants they bestowed include:

Atlanta I-CAR Committee

• Athens Technical College (Athens, GA): $5,000
• Etowah High School (Woodstock, GA): $5,000
• Lanier Technical College (Gainesville, GA): $10,000
• Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, GA): $10,000
• North Georgia Technical College (Clarkesville, GA): $20,000

Broward County I-CAR Committee

• Atlantic Technical College (Coconut Creek, FL): $5,000
• McFatter College (Davie, FL): $5,000
• Sheridan Technical College (Hollywood, FL): $5,000

Central Pennsylvania I-CAR Committee

• Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (Lancaster, PA): $25,000

Greater Philadelphia I-CAR Committee

• Delaware County Technical High School (Folcroft, PA): $5,000

Palm Beach I-CAR Committee

• South Tech Academy (Boynton Beach, FL): $5,000

Phoenix I-CAR Committee

• West-MEC (Phoenix, AZ): $5,000

Eligibility for these awards was achieved by applying for the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 2024 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grant. 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 2025 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants will be available online in early 2025.

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online.

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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.CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email [email protected].