Fixing cars, changing oil and working on car engines aren’t your typical classroom activities. But for students in the Automotive Technology program, this is a daily occurrence.

“My choice in career was mechanical engineering,” junior Alex Bernal said. “So I thought, ‘Why not learn more about it?’ ”

The class is very interactive, with students regularly doing oil changes, 25-point inspections and rotating and balancing tires. Recently, the students learned about brake systems and are currently learning about steering and suspension type work, including alignments.

“I get hands-on experience,” junior Ben Kemp said. “I like to get my hands dirty.”

Where a regular class has textbooks, the auto workshop has workbenches; where ordinary classrooms have white boards; auto tech has cars suspended in the air.

“It lets me have hands-on work,” Bernal said. “I understand the things we’re learning physically, not just learning out of a textbook like a regular class. I get to learn a whole bunch of stuff.”

Working on the cars has both educated the students and given them a challenge they enjoy.

“I wanted to learn to be able to fix cars up later in life,” sophomore Chris Boettcher said. “It’s something that interests me.”

Not only is the class educational, but it also gives the students experience they can use in their daily lives.

“I use it at home when my mom needs help with her car,” Bernal said. “If I don’t know how to do something, I know I’ll probably learn it later in the year.”

Teachers regularly bring their cars to the shop for work, and the advanced students also work on outside cars and student cars. Next year, there will be a third year program that is a practicum class. Some students will be employed at local shops or as an internship. Instead of going to class for three hours, the students will go work in a shop.

“If a student is interested in being a technician, then it’s a great experience,” Auto Tech teacher Jeff Milam said. “Or, it’s also good if they want to see if they have an interest.”