ACCSC Recognizes NASCAR Technical Institute as the Winner of the 2011 Community Service Award

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), which is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority for the establishment of educational standards, recognizes an accredited member institution for its community service initiatives via the ACCSC Community Service Award. This year at the Professional Development Conference in Long Beach, California, ACCSC recognized NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) in Mooresville, North Carolina as the winner of the 2011 Community Service Award.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111103/LA99839)

As an ACCSC-accredited institution, NASCAR Technical Institute strives to forge strong bonds between students and the community that the institution serves. For more than eight years, NTI has made a concerted effort to instill the value of community through its service initiatives and toward ensuring that all students, staff, and faculty understand that the mission of the school is to changes lives in, and beyond the classroom. It has been through these efforts, which range from financial support of worthwhile causes, to the donation of thousands of volunteer hours, that the NTI spirit has evolved into living examples of how paying it forward can enrich the lives of their students, employees, and the local community.

"Everyone at NTI understands the quality of life that we share rests in our hands, and that what we do with our talents helps others, fosters relationships and builds trust," said John Dodson, NTI community relations director. "We are proud to be active participants in serving our community, and are committed to being a premier corporate citizen in the South Iredell area."

As part of its community service initiatives, NTI developed a Motorsports Volunteer program where students compiled more than 7,000 hours of volunteer time in both 2009 & 2010; partnered with the North Carolina Motorsports Association to foster the Youth Development Motorsports Career Program; worked with the American Red Cross and the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas; sponsored the Pit Stop for Relief program where the students, staff, and faculty donated food, boxed goods, and paper products to help those in dire need of support; and sponsored the Stocks For Tots Holiday Season with the Stop Child Abuse Now organization, where toys and dollars were donated to assist abused children in Iredell County, NC.

About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI)

With more than 160,000 graduates in its 46-year history, Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI) offers undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at 11 campuses across the United States, as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers. Through a campus-based school system, UTI offers specialized technical education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI). Visit www.uti.edu for more information.

About NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI)

NASCAR Tech is the only school of its kind that combines automotive training and a NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program. Students learn the basics of engine construction, lubrication systems, chassis fabrication, dyno testing, racing theory principles, NASCAR rules and regulations, as well as the teamwork needed in today's automotive and racing industries.

About ACCSC

ACCSC has been continuously recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority for the establishment of educational standards since 1967. ACCSC's scope of recognition by the U.S. Department of Education includes the accreditation of private, postsecondary non-degree-granting and degree-granting institutions in the United States, including those granting associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees, that are predominantly organized to educate students for occupational, trade and technical careers, and including institutions that offer programs via distance education. ACCSC is dedicated to ensuring educational quality for more than 220,000 students who annually pursue career education at approximately 800 accredited institutions located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.