| A Letter from the Director |
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Dear NACAT Education Foundation Supporters, I am pleased you have taken this moment to discover a little more about the NACAT Education Foundation. The Foundation is an IRS recognized 501(c)3, EIN 35-1929767. Our purpose is to provide scholarships and grants primarily for the improvement of automotive education, to teachers, schools, and students of automotive and related technologies. The past few years have marked significant points in the life cycle of the NACAT Education Foundation. Although the Foundation was first recognized in 1994 and has awarded scholarships since inception, we are currently experiencing growth, renewal, and a refocusing of efforts in an attempt to more fervently aid those within the field of transportation technology education. The growth and evolution of the Foundation is directly tied to the changes seen within the realm of the technologies of modern transportation. The present, more than perhaps any time in the past 100 years, holds many unique challenges for educators, programs, students, schools, and industry trainers. It is how we adapt to these changes that will determine the level of excellence within the field. The NACAT Education Foundation plans to be at the forefront of continued excellence as we assist others to the precipice of distinction. 2012 was a time of continuing evolution for the Foundation that serves as the bedrock for 2013 and beyond. We made new industry friends, provided training grants, and have set goals on how to further foster excellence in education. We also had a great fundraising year due to personal and industry based donations. We can do nothing without your assistance. 2013 promises to be an exciting time for the NACAT Education Foundation. Looking ahead, you will begin to see offerings of educational webinars from us. In fact, our first webinar, “Protecting Yourself in a Digital World” with Jonathon Baily of CopyByte.com , debuted November 5, 2012. There are many others planned, with topics ranging from those of a more technical nature to those which give advice on how to help students prepare for various scenarios. We have also increased the number of awards we provide, as 2013 will mark the inaugural year of the Larry Cotten Memorial Scholarship. This award will provide $1500 to a student training to become a collision repair technician. What else is on the horizon? Quite a bit, but I can’t tell you about all of it here. I can only provide some hints and my thoughts. I invite you to examine our vision for the future. It is posted on the web site along with the ways in which we anticipate being able to support education and foster industry relationships in the future. Our objective is to be able to continue providing scholarships while also being able to provide transportation technology program support, sponsor student competitions, create assistance media, and develop displays/media to help inspire the next generation of educators and technicians. It is my hope that our presence and actions will help revitalize a struggling program or help bring back a dormant program by providing an educator a mentor or guide-book of best practices/proven ideologies. I also believe that we will be able to help inspire future students, a requirement for any academic program, through our actions. Please follow us on Facebook or frequent this site to keep aware of all that is happening. In all cases, as we receive donations, whether they are cash, auction products, corporate grants, or gifts-in-kind, the NACAT Education Foundation will be redistributing those donations in a transparent manner to those in need. Sincerely, James G. Curry, MBA |
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