South Lake’s auto program gets a huge lift from a $40,000 grant

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Under the watchful eye of his fellow senior group members Gavin Nickens and Nick McCoy, Brian Raines adjusts a part on his car’s engine. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH LAKE HIGH SCHOOL

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An exciting development has happened for the longest running CTE program in the South Lake School district. The automotive class at the high school has been awarded a significant grant to purchase a new scissor lift. According to third year automotive teacher Ricky Stanley, South Lake’s scissor lift has not been operational since the automotive classes moved back into the high school three years ago. This has kept kids who decided to take auto from getting the most out of their class. This grant, with the value of $41,000, will significantly Improve the learning experience for students by providing them with a state-of-the-art machine that’s needed to work on vehicles.

According to Superintendent Theodore VonHiltmayer, “This generous donation from the Margaret Dunning Foundation will support our students and our goal to provide students with opportunities to learn skills that are needed in the workforce.”

According to their official website, The Margaret Dunning Foundation, is an organization that supports charitable programs primarily in Western Wayne County, Michigan and educational programs focused on the automobile and transportation industries.

Stanley learned of the foundation through at the Michigan Automotive Teachers Association conference (MOTA) and immediately passed it on to district curriculum director, John Thero who wrote the grant.

The new scissor lift will allow students to work on the undercarriages of vehicles safely and efficiently, which is a critical skill needed in automotive repair and maintenance. Mr. Stanley will also now be able to provide training to his students in wheel alignment service which he is very excited about.

“This grant is a game-changer for our program, it will give our students hands-on experience with equipment they will encounter in the industry, better preparing them for their future careers.”, he explains.

Students are equally enthusiastic about the new equipment. John Hudson, a senior in the auto class, said, “Having access to a scissor lift will make a huge difference in how we learn and practice our skills.”

The scissor lift is expected to be installed over winter break and operational by January sixth when students return. . “With the help of this grant, me. and my assistant Ms. [South Lake Alum Brenna] Martel, South Lake Auto program [will be] able to thrive, I hope one day we will have one of the best high school automotive programs in Macomb County” says Stanley.

The entire school community is looking forward to seeing the benefits of this new equipment in action. With the addition of the scissor lift South Lake’s automotive program is set to continue excellence, inspiring the next generation of automotive professionals.

As Thero states, “South Lake Schools is actively engaging with our Advisory Committee for Auto to renew NATEF Certification with the ASE Education Foundation. This rigorous process helps to support our program to successfully bridge the gap between real world needs and classroom activities.”