AWI Education Foundation Awards First $100K in Grants to Schools

Pittsburg State University was one of three college woodworking programs to receive funds from the AWIEF.

The “giving arm” of the Architectural Woodwork Institute, its Education Foundation, has launched a new Institutional Grant Program for schools whose wood programs help prepare students for careers in the architectural woodwork industry. In its inaugural year, the AWIEF awarded $108,000 in grants among six accredited institutions whose programs impact nearly 1,000 students.

AWIEF’s new Institutional Grant Program is made possible by a contribution of $1 million in 2021 from the Quality Certification

The “giving arm” of the Architectural Woodwork Institute, its Education Foundation, has launched a new Institutional Grant Program for schools whose wood programs help prepare students for careers in the architectural woodwork industry. In its inaugural year, the AWIEF awarded $108,000 in grants among six accredited institutions whose programs impact nearly 1,000 students.

AWIEF’s new Institutional Grant Program is made possible by a contribution of $1 million in 2021 from the Quality Certification Corporation (QCC), which merged its Quality Certification Program into AWI that year. That QCC endowment specifies that $100,000 be awarded in institutional grants each year for 10 years.

Six accredited institutions from among nine applicants won funds for their wood program plans: Fort Atkinson High School, Fort Atkinson, WI; Medina Valley School, Castroville, TX; Shaker Heights Middle School, Cleveland, OH; Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS; and Selkirk College, Sudbury, BC, Canada. Madison College and Pittsburg State University are EDUcation members of the Woodwork Career Alliance.

“Four grant winners participated at the $10,000 or below level and two grant recipients — Madision Area Technical College and Pittsburg State University — secured matching funds to boost their eventual grant award well above the $10,000 level,” said Doug Hague, AWIEF board member and AWI CEO. “Their matching funds combined with the total AWIEF grant funds deliver an overall industry impact of $181,014.10.”

All award winners were selected based on the impact of the Grant Program required all schools seeking awards to work with local businesses, secure letters of reference and gain matching funds as applicable to the dollars requested in their application.

The AWI Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, on-profit foundation that seeks to identify resources that provide opportunities for education and professional development in the architectural woodwork industry. Its Vision is to support education and training for careers in the architectural woodwork industry. One of the AWIEF’s annual initiatives is awarding and distributing scholarships to worthy students who are promising future employees in the industry workforce. To learn more and to make a contribution to the AWIEF visit www.awinet.org > AWI Education Foundation.