Photo by Bill Mills, MCPS photographer.

L > R:
Harold Redden, MCSATF President
Marjan Naghavi, Education Director, The Forbush School at Oakmont
Abigail Gonzalez, Auto Tech Student/ 11th grade, Gaithersburg HS
Stephen Schlee, Auto Body Student/11th grade, Gaithersburg HS
Erol Orstan, student, The Forbush School at Oakmont
Kevin Bower, Auto Body Student/11th grade, Gaithersburg HS

Thursday November 8, 2007

Gift Vehicle Ceremony

THE VEHICLE GIFTING IS FREE...the experience is priceless!

On Thursday, November 8, at 9:30 a.m., at the Gaithersburg High School auto lab, a special event occurred.

Gaithersburg High School Automotive Technology/Automotive Body students of the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc. (MCSATF) reconditioned and donated a seven passenger van to the Forbush School, a program of the Sheppard Pratt Health System. The Forbush School is located in Gaithersburg and provides special education for children (K-15 years of age) with autism, pervasive development disorders, developmental delays, severe behavioral problems, multiple learning disabilities and other related disorders.

This project gives an opportunity for the MCSATF students to practice their automotive skills, earn student service learning hours, and develop a deeper appreciation for the concepts of charity and community involvement. This donation van provides a means of transportation for the Forbush students to access community events, which is a key component of their education/socialization. Prior to receiving this van, the school was limited in its ability to transport students to local events.

In attendance at this event were approximately 100 ATF students, their teachers, Montgomery County BOD member and MCPS staff, and the ATF Board of Directors. The MCSATF is a non-profit organization established cooperatively by the Montgomery County business and professional community and the Montgomery County Public Schools to provide a unique method of training high school students for skilled positions in the automotive field through participation in the Mini-Dealership, a licensed used car dealership. The students receive valuable on-the-job training that will prepare them for higher educational opportunities or direct entry into the automotive job market. MCSATF programs are located at Damascus, Gaithersburg, Seneca Valley and Thomas Edison high schools. In addition to donating one vehicle per year to a worthy non-profit organization in Montgomery County, the ATF students host three used cars sales per year. The first sale will occur on Saturday, December 8 (snow date December 15), from 9-11 a.m., at Gaithersburg High School. All monetary proceeds are returned directly to the ATF programs.