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Kinder Morgan Awards Grant for DCS Automotive Education


Students use their skills to work on repairing this small engine.
The Kinder Morgan Foundation awarded a grant to Decatur City Schools Foundation that provides funds for updated tools and equipment for the Decatur City Schools Automotive Technologies Program. Students from both Austin and Decatur High School participate in the program currently housed at Austin High. The program provides four levels of courses focused on automotive maintenance and light repair.

Beginning next year, the program will be part of a system-wide career tech center, set to open in August 2018 on the current Austin High School Campus. Currently, students travel from Decatur High School to Austin High School to attend classes in the program. The centralized career tech center will combine the complementary programs that already exist at the two high schools, allowing students to spend more time in classes and less time traveling to the campus that houses their program.

Michael Funk, teacher of the Automotive Education courses at
Austin High School, shows Executive Director Jesslyn Reeves
the tools and equipment their program uses.
Shelton Cobb, Career and Technical Education Supervisor for the school system says, "Career and technical education training is vital to the growth of our economy and the success of workforce development. Receiving this grant will help us to grow our Automotive Technology program in Decatur City Schools. With the announcement of Toyota/Mazda plant coming to our community along with other local automotive business/industry in our region, skilled automotive technology trades will continue to be an important training area for our students. Thank you Kinder Morgan for your support of our Automotive Technology Academy."

The grant comes at a time when the unemployment rate is low and attention is focused on preparing the local workforce for skilled trades. “Our local industries and businesses are telling us that they have an immediate as well as long-term need for a skilled workforce. Working with Kinder Morgan and others to provide funds for tools and equipment for career and technical education is an ongoing focus of ours and will help us to meet that need and ensure our students graduate ready for local in-demand jobs,” adds Jesslyn Reeves, Decatur City Schools Foundation Executive Director.

The current workshop of the DCS Automotive Education Program.
Upon successful completion of the courses, students are able to diagnose and repair engine performance related systems. These courses incorporate all personal and environmental safety practices associated with clothing, eye protection; hand tools; power equipment; proper ventilation; and the handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals and materials in accordance with local, state, and federal safety and environmental regulations.





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