What is the Automotive Trades Foundation?
Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) is dedicated to ensuring that young people get the best possible education, training and preparation for continued education and a full range of careers within the automotive industry.
The result of an ongoing partnership between businesses and public schools in Montgomery County, ATF provides students with unparalleled classroom instruction and hands-on experience in the maintenance, repair, sales and marketing of automobiles. The ATF program is administered by the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization serving Montgomery County businesses and students since 1978.
Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF), also known as The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit foundation established cooperatively by Montgomery County Public Schools and the business community in Montgomery County to promote and advance the interests of automotive education through the establishment of a student-run licensed used car dealership. This unique method of training high school students for skilled positions in the automotive field offers hands-on instruction to students interested in an automotive career. Students are introduced to potential employers with available automotive positions in technical service, customer service, sales and management.
Students receive valuable on-the-job training that prepares them for higher educational opportunities or direct entry into the automotive job market.
The ATF program also offers students the opportunity to earn advanced placement credit toward post-secondary education. During the school year, final-year ATF students are placed in local automobile dealerships for two full days of one-on-one training with experts in the automotive industry to enhance their knowledge of the real world and to establish employment contacts.
The Automotive Trades Foundation program (ATF) takes an
active role in the community each year by awarding scholarships to outstanding
students and by donating vehicles to local charitable organizations.
Wilson
M. "Mac" Horsmon Scholarship
The Montgomery County Students
Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc. Scholarship was established in honor of
Wilson M. "Mac" Horsmon in recognition of his life-long commitment to
promote excellence within the automobile industry.
From his childhood beginnings in his
family's automobile dealership in Southern Maryland to his long-term
relationship with ATF, Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association
(WANADA) and the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Affairs, Mr. Horsmon
worked tirelessly to advance education, skill and consumer confidence in the
automobile industry. He was a pioneer in the Certified Mechanics program and a
founding volunteer of the Automobile Consumer Action Program. His work with the
Montgomery County Office of Consumer Affairs and WANADA resulted in many
educational and technological advancements within the automobile field.
It is hoped that the recipient of
this scholarship will utilize this opportunity to continue this tradition of
excellence.
To request additional information
contact Judyn Rengers at the ATF office at (301) 929-2197.