LINCOLN – William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School recently received a $25,000 grant to purchase advanced automotive technology equipment, the school announced.
The Collision Repair Education Foundation awarded the Benchmark Award grant at the 2025 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show, which was held from Nov. 4-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Davies automotive careers instructor Jesse Spillane accepted the award on behalf of the school.
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The grant will fund the purchase of an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems calibration system. ADAS features, which include sensors and computer systems, are now standard equipment on most new vehicles.
The equipment will make Davies the only high school in Rhode Island with an industry-recognized ADAS calibration system, according to the school. Students will learn to set up, diagnose and calibrate vehicles after repairs.
The purchase represents a step toward achieving Tier 1 status in collision repair education, which requires fully modern equipment. Student success will be measured through John Bean True-Point ADAS certification and feedback from local industry partners.
“This is cutting-edge technology that is brand-new to the industry,” Spillane said. “The younger generation of technicians are very good at technology and computers. This will help our students get the edge they need to start a great career in the collision industry.”
The Rhode Island I-CAR Committee, an industry group, has supported the Davies collision program since 2019 through fundraising efforts and partnerships with the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island and local shops.
Emerson Guerra, automotive careers instructor at Davies, said the grant will help change perceptions of the collision repair field.
“This industry is changing; it’s not a body shop, it’s a collision repair center,” Guerra said. “The options for our students include high-tech pathways like programming.”
Davies serves approximately 900 students from across Rhode Island and offers academic studies alongside technical programs. The school provides bus transportation to students from 12 communities and accepts applications from students statewide during its admissions cycle.
The admissions cycle is currently open for eighth and ninth graders.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor at Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
