Tools of education in Missoula, Montana – Mentors turn their passion for automobiles into high school classes – Montana Automotive Technologies

Aimee Sunderland is something of a car freak.

In part, it’s an obsession that runs in her family. But it seems to have taken particularly hard hold of the Hellgate High School senior.

“I’ve wanted to own a body shop since I was maybe 6 years old,” Sunderland said Tuesday as she worked on the very greasy spark plugs of a 1968 Chevy pickup.
No, she doesn’t have her own body shop yet. But she may just have the next best thing.

What we’re doing is giving them a skill that will actually translate into the job market,” said Ault. “We are tied in to most of the businesses in town that would employ mechanics and the like, and they are interested in the people we have here.”

Montana Automotive Technologies http://www.montanaautomotivetechnologies.org/

By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/mtregional/news06.txt

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Automotive class restores cars for community

By KRISTEN CATES • Tribune Staff Writer

When a mid-90s Chevrolet sedan showed up at Great Falls High’s auto shop, the engine was so dirty it was hard to tell what was old and what needed to be fixed.
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"You couldn’t tell what was what," said junior Austin Basinger.

However, with a little TLC and some tuning up, the car is ready to be turned over this week to the YWCA’s Mercy Home.

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090206/NEWS01/902060326/1002