The Collision Repair Education Foundation and AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings have once again partnered to offer the Sustainability Challenge Grant for high schools and colleges with collision repair education programs.

In its second year, schools are invited to submit proposals for applying continuous improvement and sustainability principles that improve the processes in the school’s body shop, have a positive impact on the environment and the people working in the shop, or improve the way the shop interacts and impacts the community. The projects should be driven by teams of students, with the instructor serving as a mentor for the program. Each winning school will receive funding to introduce their proposed idea to their school and report on the success of their project. The deadline for applications is Earth Day, April 22, 2015.

In addition to the awards, the program also serves as a way to educate collision repair students across the country about sustainability and its principles and how students could improve and make a positive impact on the environment. The sustainability video series, which is available at the Education Foundation’s website, is one of the available tools for instructors to teach their classes about sustainability.

“We are honored to once again partner with AkzoNobel on this very important subject matter,” said Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation executive director. “The students studying in collision programs today will be the future of our industry, and by getting them thinking about sustainability practices now, it will only make for a better future. Thank you to AkzoNobel for allowing schools to contribute for a better tomorrow.”