A group of South Florida students got some real hands-on experience working on cars.
At Miami Carol City Senior High School, the auto garage is not for customers but for students to learn as part of a real-world program offered at the school with assistance from Florida Power & Light.
“I’ve learned how cars operate, how engines operate, how cars cannot work without certain components that they really need, learned what it feels like to work in an automotive environment,” said Lanyla Conley, a senior at Carol City.
The high school is also home to the only electric vehicle automotive program in the country. The school’s principal said the program offers students opportunities.
“Because they’re completing their modules, they will go and they’ll have their certification, they can work for FPL, they could go into the workforce for automotive, they can even go into the starter program for Tesla, and it is geared to get our kids from the classroom to the actual work field,” said Carol City principal Dr. Bridget McKinney.
All those branching routes for students made it an easy choice for the school to partner with FPL for the program.
One exciting challenge FPL is presenting students is constructing an EV go-kart for an Electrathon competition that will pit them against other students from across the state.
To start their work for the competition, the electricity company gifted students in the program an electric vehicle kit, which they will use to learn how to build their go-kart.
Officials said the challenge will help students learn multiple critical skills that will serve them outside the walls of their school.
“They have to work together as a team to build and compete in a fully electric go-kart, and the important thing is that each student has a role to play in ensuring the success of the team,” said Isabella Burckhardt, Community Relations Specialist at FPL. “Some students are turning wrenches, some students might be driving, others are learning about fundraising and marketing.”
Students like Conley are excited for the challenge.
“That just adds more to the education, more to what we learn, more to what we can achieve and be great at,” said Conley.
She said that, from her experience, the program offers much more than education; it gives students a sense of purpose.
“I used to be everywhere. In the cafeteria, doing stuff I didn’t have any business in, and now I’ve gotten into the professional work, I’ve been better staying out of trouble, away from bad people, and it really brings the best out of people,” said Conley.
The race will take place at some point this summer, so Carol City students have a few months to find the perfect balance between speed and energy efficiency.
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