Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes — in partnership with Larsen Motorsports (LMS) — is establishing a scholarship program designed to address the talent shortage facing the automotive industry, specifically collision repair.

Through the Blazing Trails Scholarship Fund, Blazing Trails will add a specific focus on automotive service and collision repair programs at the post-secondary level to its existing vocational and technical training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Blazing Trails’ mission is to assist children who have goals that they want to achieve, but are unable to pursue those goals because of a lack of money, time or guidance.

Sherwin-Williams and LMS will award a set number of students with one year of tuition. The amount of the scholarship money awarded to each student will depend upon the institution’s annual tuition fee. Students must be enrolled at one of the following participating trade schools or technical/community colleges …
• Baton Rouge Community College in Baton Rouge, LA
• Madison Area Technical College in Madison, WI
• Oakland Community College in Bloomfield Hills, MI
• Ohio Technical College in Cleveland
• Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS
• WyoTech in Laramie, WY

Sherwin-Williams will support the scholarship fund at the SEMA Show this year, auctioning off more than 30 art panels airbrushed and pinstriped by some of the industry’s biggest names. All proceeds from the sale of artwork will be used to award scholarships in the 2020-‘21 school year.