NEWS RELEASE
February 23, 2006
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Kayem Dunn, Executive Director
616.458.0400 or kayem@accredit-id.org
Angelo Donghia Foundation supports quality education
The Angelo Donghia Foundation has awarded a grant of $250,000 to the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER) to be paid over a five-year period beginning in 2006. The funds will ensure that the Council has adequate professional staff and trained volunteers to support continued growth at a critical juncture of organizational development.
“The five-year grant award from the Angelo Donghia Foundation will help us increase understanding of the value of accreditation and expand services to interior design programs seeking accreditation,” according to Joe Pettipas, Council Board Chair. Over the past ten years, the number of accredited interior design programs has almost doubled, however, not all programs are successful the first time they seek accreditation. “New services are designed to increase the number of programs that successfully achieve accreditation,” said Kayem Dunn, executive director. “In the end, students will have a greater choice of quality programs.”
Today, over 20,000 students are enrolled in programs accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. These students, their parents, and future employers are assured that graduates will be prepared for entry-level practice and poised for future professional growth.
“We are deeply grateful to the trustees of the Angelo Donghia Foundation for support of our mission to provide the foundation for excellence in the interior design profession through standard setting and accrediting academic programs that meet those standards,” said Pettipas. “This grant will help us make a good thing even better.”