The I-CAR Education Foundation will change its name to the
Collision Repair Education Foundation beginning at NACE 2010.
For almost 20 years, the Collision Repair Education Foundation
has supported career and technical school and college collision
repair programs through curriculum development, sales, and
support and philanthropic scholarships and grants.
In 2008, the Education Foundation moved the curriculum and
training functions to I-CAR and focused its mission entirely on
charitable support for schools and instructors. Last year, the
organization provided more than $1.6 million in grants to
education programs nationwide.
Executive Director Scott Kruger stated that the name and logo
change was reflective of the organization's new mission and
vision of supporting the future of the collision industry by
enriching opportunities for collision repair students and
schools.
"The Collision Repair Education Foundation today is singularly
focused on grant and scholarship support of high school and
post-secondary collision repair programs," added Kruger. "Our
organization is 100 percent funded by charitable donations and
we can meet the needs of schools and students only through the
generous support of the entire collision industry. Our new name
is reflective of the fact that collision education programs need
the support of the entire collision industry."
Kruger also emphasized that the Collision Repair Education
Foundation and I-CAR will continue their partnership in
supporting education for the entire industry: "I-CAR is the
obvious subject-matter expert on the education and training
needs of the collision employee – from the student to the
entry-level employee to the most experienced technician.
Collision repair schools need I-CAR to provide the best training
methods for their future collision repair technicians; and
schools also need funding and donations of the right tools,
materials and equipment so that instructors have the proper
tools to teach their students."
The Collision Repair Education Foundation's overall goal is to
support the pre-employment segment of the collision industry.
The Education Foundation's funding focus is on secondary and
post-secondary career and technical school and college collision
programs and their students. The scholarships and grants
distributed enhance the education experience for students by
better preparing them to understand the new technology and gain
the skills necessary to be a successful collision industry
member. Collision repair businesses are then able to hire these
well-trained students as productive, efficient, and capable
employees from day one on the job.
For more information visit www.ed-
foundation.org.