Ivy Tech South Bend hits the gas on new automotive program

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- This pilot automotive project gives a selective number of students an opportunity to gain hands on opportunities in a real auto shop. Students can change oil and do routine checks on vehicles for local non-profit organizations like the Boys & Girls Club Bus.

This program is funded through a grant and is not related to the direct curriculum of the school's automotive program, but it equips the students with the tools needed for success in this field.

Taylor Jennings, one of the students who participated in the program, says, “It feels really good to be able to serve my community in a different way and to gain real life experience that I could use for a job in the future. It just was such an amazing experience, because I had never heard of anything like it. If I could take it again, I would absolutely.”

The goal by the end of summer break is for the program to be approved for another three years, allowing education to work hand in hand with philanthropy and the community.