OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk Department of Public Works head Randy Woodbury commented on a wide range of subjects at Tuesday’s Common Council Finance Committee meeting.

The LoGuidice Educational Center was recently awarded $25,000 from the Collision Repair Education Foundation.

The funds, from State Farm and part of the foundation’s Benchmark Grant Program for 2024, will go toward enhancing the educational offerings in the Automotive Body Repair program at LoGuidice.

Instructor Amy Bogner expressed appreciation for the grant award and discussed how it will impact her students at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.

“I am very grateful to the Collision Repair Education Foundation for the opportunity to apply for the Benchmark Grant, and to State Farm for their generous donation of $25,000,” Bogner said. “This grant will significantly enhance my budget, allowing me to upgrade tools and equipment as well as purchase higher-quality consumable materials.”

More than a dozen partners within the collision repair industry provide funding to the Collision Repair Education Foundation Benchmark Grant Program. Companies, including State Farm, LKQ, General Motors, and Nationwide Insurance, donated thousands of dollars to support collision repair education programs across the country.

The 2024 applicant pool was highly competitive, with 160 collision repair schools submitting applications. Bogner collaborated with the E2CCB Grant Services team during the application process and, as a result, was named as one of three recipients of a $25,000 Benchmark Grant.

The funds are meant to help programs maintain or enhance their educational offerings and ensure that students graduating from the programs are prepared to enter a career in the collision repair industry.

“With this support, I will be able to accommodate the growing enrollment in my program, giving me the resources to equip my students with essential skills, boost their confidence, and prepare them to excel in the future,” Bogner said.

She participated in the foundation’s Instructor Breakfast and Benchmark Grant Awards Ceremony held last November in Las Vegas. During the ceremony, Bogner accepted the award on behalf of E2CCB.

In a message posted to Facebook, the Collision Repair Education Foundation stated, “We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support from the collision repair community. Thanks to you, we’ve awarded $235,000 in scholarships to 90 students and provided $536,000 in school grants, impacting over 4,000 students!”

For more information on Career & Technical Education programs available at E2CCB, visit e2ccb.org/programs/career-technical-education/