Careers in Construction > Carolinas Construction Education/Research Foundation

Education Foundation Seeds Future Construction Workforce

Carolinas AGC founded the Carolinas Construction Education/Research Foundation in 1989 with $25,000 in seed funds. Since then the Foundation has raised over $270,000 and has distributed over $20,000 in scholarships to students seeking to enter the construction industry.

The Foundation’s initial objective was to provide scholarships to students at the eight colleges, universities, and technical schools in the Carolinas offering a construction management curriculum. Today, its objectives are broader and more aggressive-- the Foundation allocates funds to:

• Increase interest in craftworker training,
• Encourage counselors and high school instructors to support construction careers,
• Support instructor training in order to improve the skills of craftworker trainees in the vocational schools,
• Grants and scholarships supporting various construction-related projects.

The most successful continuing fundraising activity has been the annual golf benefit by Carolinas AGC and its members. Since 1990 it has raised over $170,000. The single most profitable fundraising program was Carolinas AGC’s 75th Anniversary commemorative sculpture, JACK, by Tom Clark, contributing $120,000. Jack was retired in 2000.

Recently, the Foundation Permanently endowed five scholarships at $2,500 each through the AGC Education Foundation. Students attending one of the five major Universities in North or South Carolina with an Accredited Construction Department are eligible. This project was funded for $125,000.

With your help we hope to continue to build our Foundation reserves so we can operate with the interest income from invested funds. To date a small amount of principal, along with interest income, has funded selected projects.

The Carolinas Construction Education and Research Foundation Board of Directors thanks all those who have participated in the annual golf event and other fundraising activities. Your support has made our Foundation grow and has created opportunities for programs of value to the industry.

All contributions to the Carolinas Construction Education and Research Foundation are tax-deductible.

Please contact Bill Stricker at Carolinas AGC (704) 372-1450 ext. 5213 for more information regarding the Education Foundation.