Thomas County Central High School PREP Academy Automotive Technology pathway is a recipient of training engines from the Ford Automotive Career Exploration, or ACE, program.
Students earned the distinction of Most Improved School in the Ford Southeast Market Area and won a Ford Powerstroke 6.0L turbo diesel engine.
Instructor Michael Clapper heard about the program during a Georgia Automotive Instructors conference from Anthony Davis, a Ford regional technical talent placement specialist. Designed by the Ford Motor Company, it helps prepare students for future careers (specifically service technician) within the automotive industry at their dealerships.
“During the beginning of the pandemic, many companies were sending out resources to help support instruction outside of the classroom,” Clapper said. “Anthony Davis sent me an email, and I contacted him. The students would have an account, and they would be able to take online learning modules and earn Ford certifications that can be transferred once they become a technician at the dealership.”
A program had to have either the highest or highest improved average course completion by student. Clapper’s students in Maintenance and Light Repair levels 2 and 3 began right away. They completed online training modules throughout May and built their way to winning one part of the competition.
"In the spring, when we had to shift to online instruction and many students felt disconnected from school, Mr. Clapper found a way to make learning meaningful,” Beth Adams, director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education for Thomas County Schools said.
Clapper learned his students won the first engine in June.
“I feel awesome that we won the contest,” he said. “It was the hard work of my students in the end that closed the deal with their efforts while we were out of school and learning from home.”
While coordinating pick up of the first engine from the Ford Training Facility in Marietta this August, he received the offer of a second training diesel engine, a 6.4L.
“I, without hesitation, said ‘yes and yes,’” Clapper said.
These engines will meet a need within the program. Since Clapper started teaching it, he’s had students interested in working on diesel engines. However, the program did not have a diesel engine upon which to train. Now it does.
“Students will be able to use the engines to disassemble, inspect and reassemble to understand better how a diesel engine works compared to the gasoline engines they have worked on in the school shop,” he said.
Also, using these training engines helps the TCCHS CTAE department achieve one of its central goals.
"Our goal in CTAE is to find ways to engage students using relevant, or real-world, learning activities," Adams said. “When students see the value in what they are learning, they will go above and beyond as we have seen here."
Clapper thanks all the invaluable community connections that aided his students in achieving this award.
“We have members from local dealerships, independent shops, and businesses serve on our advisory committees,” he said. “These affiliations serve as a voice in our communities but also in our classrooms. Ultimately, when students graduate from high school, they will go into the workforce or further their education. By providing students with a curriculum that aligns with industry standards, we are better preparing our students to be successful after they graduate. It's a win-win situation!”
This remote learning competition also reminded Clapper of a vital job maxim.
“It helped me to realize that our job as educators is to help students find the purpose of their educational journey,” he said. “When we do this, the students will respond with more effort, more discipline, and ultimately more drive to want to learn.”