With state grants given to less than thirty high schools in the state, auto shop students at two Victor Valley Union High School District schools are building fully-functional electric cars.
Students and teachers at Adelanto and Victor Valley high schools recently showed off the progress on their electric vehicles at presentations attended by officials from the California Energy Commission, VVUHSD, Victor Valley College and Cerritos College.
“Building an electric car is an experience I would have never thought I’d be a part of during high school,” Adelanto student Jayden White told the crowd.
He noted how different teams of students worked on the mechanical systems and electrical systems while another team painted the frame a shade of AHS burgundy.
“This project has been an amazing experience and it is something I will always remember,” Jayden said.
Students are getting hands-on experience with automotive technology of the future thanks to two $55,000 grants the VVUHSD Career Technical Education department obtained for the Clean Fuels Transportation Pilot Career Opportunity Project. The grant was awarded through the Advanced Transportation and Energy Center, hosted by Cerritos Community College District, with funding through the California Energy Commission.
The energy commission developed a pilot training project to increase career awareness for high school students in the clean fuels transportation field.
VVC obtained its own clean fuels grant funding and partnered with VVUHSD to get the funding for AHS and VVHS to launch their clean fuels technology training unit for students.
Students at both schools are planning to have the cars ready to drive within the next few weeks.
“The automotive industry is evolving, and so are our automotive programs,” VVUHSD CTE Coordinator Dr. McKenzie Tarango said. “We are working with VVC to train a new generation of electric car technicians to meet the needs of the industry while providing students exposure to the high-wage careers of today and tomorrow.”
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