Progress photo of the Chaffey High School Switch EV build.
Transitioning to cleaner vehicles and fuels continues to be a priority in the Inland Empire.
Adding Switch Electric Vehicles to area high school automotive programs has been one way to move this initiative forward and prepare the future workforce for the rapidly-changing automotive job market.
Over the summer, three San Bernardino County high schools brought the Switch EV curriculum to their classes thanks to a grant by the CA Energy Commission through Cerritos College’s ATL program. This electric vehicle kit allows students to engage in every aspect of electrical vehicle theory, construction, maintenance, and operation. In just four weeks, students at Etiwanda High School, Montclair High School and Chaffey High School built this full-size street legal EV as a classroom project.
This fast-track summer course was preceded by a week-long instructor training session delivered by Switch Vehicles at Chaffey High School in May. This training was key in the successful launch of the new EV curriculum on these high school campuses.
“The instructor training was essential,” said Octavio Armas, automotive instructor at Chaffey High School. “The experience of putting a vehicle together during the training prepares you for any hiccups that may (will) be encountered while supervising students during the Switch vehicle build.”
“The Switch training gave me the skills I needed to set up workgroups and scheduling so that I could create appropriate workflow expectations and assessments,” added David Rowcliffe, automotive instructor at Montclair High School. “I got to see methods and tools more experienced teachers had used and developed to complete the tricky aspects of this project.”
The EV curriculum was integrated into existing automotive pathways at each of the schools.
At Etiwanda High School, 16 students attended this new Auto Performance class, which will be included on an ongoing basis to support ASE certification attainment by students in the System Diagnostics, Service, and Repair Pathway.
“This class gave students the opportunity to apply critical thinking skills in the areas of building the switch lab, building circuits, diagnosing electrical problems, and reading and tracing wiring diagrams,” said Curt Erales, automotive technology instructor at Etiwanda High School, part of the Baldy View Regional Occupational Program (BVROP)
Students gained other important, non-automotive skills during this class as well.
“The problem-solving, following written/diagram instructions, time management and collaboration skills students gained during the Switch project will carry with them into college and career aspirations,” said Armas.
But maybe most noticeable for students and their teachers, is that it was a fun and rewarding project to work on!
“Students had a great time completing the project,” said Armas. “Once the vehicle was assembled, students had a much better understanding of how EVs actually function.”
Rowcliffe pointed out that his students enjoyed the feeling of completing the project. “They got the feeling of accomplishment so sorely lacking in the vast majority of high school work,” he said.
When surveyed about their experience in the class, a majority of the students at all three high schools reported they valued the hands-on experience with the Switch Vehicle the most, followed by working with a team, and gaining experience to add to their resumes.
More than half of the students reported they would consider a career in clean fuels transportation as a result of taking this class.
“This opportunity provided instructors and our students a VERY industry relevant experience,” said Eduardo Zaldivar, Director of Career Readiness at Chaffey Joint Union High School District. “It made for an exciting summer for the school communities in our area!”
