For the third consecutive year, students from Questar III’s Columbia-Greene Educational Center attended the National Hot Rod Association’s Youth and Educational Services (Y.E.S.) Career Day. Ten students from Automotive Technologies and 10 students from Automotive Services attended the event located in Englishtown, New Jersey.
CGEC students getting autographs from Tony and Cruz Pedregon at Career Day
Students from both programs were invited to attend the event if they fulfilled the criteria of good grades, attendance and behavior.
Automotive Technologies teacher Gerry Smith said students participated in a career based discussion and then entered the track to watch the races, view manufacturers’ displays and partake in interactive activities.
“The purpose of this trip was to broaden the students’ career horizons,” he said. “They got to see many different ways to make a living in the automotive industry.”
Students who attended the event told Smith it was the best field trip they had ever taken.
The NHRA Y.E.S. program is based on the following seven values: Believe in yourself, teamwork, respect yourself and others around you, make a difference, make the right choices and drive safe and pursue your dreams.
The NHRA’s Y.E.S. program presented by the U.S. Army is motorsports’ first and only full-time program devoted exclusively to educational programming. The Y.E.S. program was created in 1989 as a tool to connect education and drag racing. The 2012 season marks the 24th year of the NHRA Youth and Education program and continues to reach over 25,000 students per year nationally.
Questar III’s Automotive Technologies is a two-year program that offers students a wide range of automotive training. Students service and repair a variety of vehicles using professional tools and computerized state-of-the-art equipment. Students also gain extensive training in automotive shop operations and personal and environmental safety.
Questar III’s Automotive Services program offers students a hands-on introduction to small engine repair and auto services. Working in a shop setting, students are exposed to the job skills and values needed for successful employment.
