Rowland High School in Los Angeles County is the latest school to benefit from a Switch Electric Vehicle Kit, thanks to a grant from the California Energy Commission.
Commissioner Patty Monahan visited the school in December to present a special award plaque and talk with the students about the importance of electric vehicles in California. There are currently 17 electric vehicle manufacturers in the state, all of whom need skilled technicians who can hit the ground running without a lot of additional training.
“We need to make sure there’s a workforce to support the growing electric vehicle market,” Monahan said. “We are happy to be able to support schools learning how to make electric vehicles, and we want you to have a good job when you graduate.”
Eduardo Martin, an automotive instructor at Rowland High School, said students would work on the vehicle over the course of a school year, tackling everything from the suspension to computer systems.
“The biggest benefit I’ve seen from this project is that students get to learn about future technology and where electric vehicles are heading,” Martin said. “The Switch vehicle caters to both student fundamentals and future technologies.”
Students are also starting to see the benefit the Switch vehicle is bringing to their classroom.
“One of my favorite things about working on the Switch vehicle is being able to work collaboratively with my partners,” said Rowland High School student Jesus Gomez.
Student Andrew Meachan said the Switch vehicle has introduced new challenges into the classroom.
“The biggest challenge we’ve come across is that none of us had worked with electronics before,” Meachan said. “We are learning how to build circuit boards and getting those things done.”
Located in Rowland Heights, Rowland High School serves an ethnically and economically diverse group of about 2100 students. About 62% of the school’s students receive free or reduced-price lunch.
The school enrolls more than 150 students in its automotive program, which is part of the Clean Fuels Transportation Pilot Career Opportunity Project. It also has an automotive club called the “Rollin’ Raiders” that participates in community events and helps recruit students to the automotive programs.
Monahan visited Rowland High School on December 3 to tour its facilities and present the award. Principal Mitch Brunyer, Vice Principal Michael Ward, Board President Donna Freedman, and Assistant Superintendent Matty Zamora attended the presentation.
Watch the video here.
