CHICAGO — As part of a gala event held Monday night at The Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, Carrier Corporation presented Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with a $10,000 “Spirit of Innovation Award” grant. The award was made during an event hosted for Carrier customers attending the 2003 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating (AHR) Expo.

“It is our pleasure to present Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with the first $10,000 award under Carrier Corporation’s new “Spirit of Innovation Educational Grants program,” said John Mandyck, Carrier’s vice president of Government and International Relations. “We do this both to commemorate Dr. Willis H. Carrier’s invention of modern air conditioning 100 years ago and to further our longstanding commitment to education.”

CPS said it may use the grant to improve the learning environment and promote studies in the HVAC field. Temperature Equipment Controls (TEC), a distributor of Carrier equipment since 1935, both nominated CPS for the Carrier award and has offered a contribution of lab equipment for use in HVAC studies in CPS’ vocational programs.

“We’re pleased to be able to make this investment for Chicago’s public schools students, our local school system, and the HVAC industry,” said TEC president Skip Mungo.