Autofest members revved up after tour
Donates $3,000 to CTE Center
Autofest members pose during their tour of the CTE Center. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Superintendent Sean Koster (right) shows off the employment skills program room to Autofest members. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Les Schwab manager Jeff Brown (right) inspects a tool cabinet during the CTE Center tour. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Autofest members pose during their tour of the CTE Center. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Superintendent Sean Koster (right) shows off the employment skills program room to Autofest members. Photo by Dylan Jackson
Les Schwab manager Jeff Brown (right) inspects a tool cabinet during the CTE Center tour. Photo by Dylan Jackson
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NEW ULM – Members of Autofest toured the CTE Center Thursday afternoon, getting a look into the various trade opportunities offered to students.
Autofest is an organization that shares a passion for automotives. They have roughly sixty members and routinely put on free car shows. The organization is approaching their 25th Car Show at the Brown County Fairgrounds, which will take place next year.
The club donated $3,000 to the CTE Center with money raised selling t-shirts and working the popcorn stand. This is their third donation to the Center.
Member Bob Fisch said that their donation aimed to encourage an interest in the trades.
"We donated to try and better the car enthusiasts in town," Fisch said. "The more training they can get in automotive, the better off they can be."
Superintendent Sean Koster gave a tour of the Center. He pointed out the employment skills program, which gives cognitively challenged students experience with hands-on modules related to kitchen skills, garage work, and other projects.
"We're getting them to work with their hands," Koster said. "This is their favorite part of the day."
He said that the CTE Center is beneficial for all students.
"It's not just for our kids that are going to be working in the trades," Koster said.
One of the ways the school is getting more kids involved with advanced trades classes is by moving Intro to Trades into the CTE Center. This is being done with help from the 3M Community Impact Future Makers program, which is currently remodeling the building to provide a space suited for the class.
Intro to Trades is a class that can fulfill CTE credits required by New Ulm High School.
Work done at the CTE Center can be seen around the community.
"We do a lot of work for our waste management companies in town here," Koster said. "They donate all the materials and our advanced welders put the dumpsters together."
Autofest members appreciated the tour and were impressed with all of the different projects students were able to work on at the CTE Center.
It is not just New Ulm High School students taking advantage of the opportunities to learn trade skills.
Each year, roughly 12 students from MVL and Cathedral register with the public school and take CTE classes.
These classes include Small Engines, an automotive course that is a prerequisite to Advanced Auto, which is not currently being taught because there is no course instructor available.
The school is actively looking to fill the position.
Community donations like the $3,000 given by Autofest helps keep the CTE Center up to date with developments in the trades.
"We want this to continue in town," Autofest member Paul Maday said. "Automotive and everything is getting more technical with computers and the kids are into that."
Members expressed that they wished the CTE Center existed when they were in school.
"I had automotive when I was in school, but it was basic back then," Fisch said. "It's really nice for kids to have an opportunity to see what the trade is all about."