Project CAR and Newgate School share a unique partnership
For approximately 30 young adults each year, training through Newgate School represents a path to a higher paying job and more stability for themselves and their families. Newgate School in Minneapolis offers free training to lower income students in auto body or auto mechanic repairs. Students spend an average of 14 months in the program, working with instructors in a hands-on curriculum that teaches them car repair skills on donated vehicles. Once fixed, most vehicles are sold at auctions and the proceeds fund Newgate’s operations. Additionally, 1-2 vehicles per month are donated to single, working moms with kids who do not have any reliable transportation.
Newgate School is a unique and exciting partner for Project CAR. Project CAR is a program of Environmental Initiative providing reimbursement to repair shops to fix broken and old emissions systems. Project CAR funding partners include the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Flint Hills Resources, and the City of Minneapolis. The program targets older vehicles with broken or outdated emission controls or exhaust equipment driving in communities with poor air quality. Repairing these vehicles improves the vehicle drivability and reduces air pollution.
Project CAR has helped students gain experience repairing emissions systems on different types of cars while allowing Newgate to take in more cars needing emissions work. Newgate evaluates every donated vehicle to determine what cost-effective repairs can be completed by the students. While broken components of an emissions system may have disqualified a vehicle in the past, Project CAR allows Newgate to accept that vehicle by covering those repairs costs.
Project CAR has also added another element to the students’ training. Reporting is required for Project CAR’s grant partners, so students have learned additional documentation methods for estimates and parts and labor costs. This extra step, while crucial to Project CAR, offers students exposure to the types of tracking and recording that will be a part of their future job in a repair shop.
“This project allows students to receive training on the repair of exhaust systems that reduced emissions, which can be applied to vehicles they will be working on once they have graduated,” shares Newgate director Wayne Hanson.
Environmental Initiative’s relationship with Newgate School through Project CAR is valuable for students, car recipients, and community air quality. If you are interested in learning more and supporting Project CAR, connect with Gillian Greenberg.
About Newgate School
Newgate School relies on car donations—they are the students’ textbooks and the school’s source of funding. You can learn more about the training program and donating a vehicle by visiting Newgate School’s website.