Shop Rat Southeast in Alabama Starting New Programs

posted on October 13th, 2008

CAR RESTORATION SHOP RAT PROGRAM

Shop Rat/Southeast has a unique educational project offering to their young Shop Rats. Under the guidance of Lee Hurley (Owner of HESCO and formerly pit crew chief of two different NASCAR teams) students will have the opportunity to restore a classic automobile at the Old Car Heaven Livery (a historic car center) in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.

Students will take the role of a car restoration specialist as they develop hands-on and leadership skills. This project has been met with great support from the business community as local businesses have donated their resources, time and talents of professionals to assist in the training of young Shop Rats. This project is slated to begin in the fall of 2008.

Students are excited and eager to begin their training. This project will be filmed by O2 Ideas where the video will be edited into a TV documentary. Additionally, Shop Rat Board Member, Bobby Jon Drinkard, host of On The Job TV show, will be featuring the students and their build periodically on his TV show. Discovery Education has also requested a copy of the finished documentary to determine its usability with and on the Discovery Channel.

Additionally the Career Discoveries students at Chelsea Middle School were invited to star in their own reality show. Shop Rat of Munith, Michigan, launched a program, based on the popular Discovery Channels Biker Build-Off show that has junior high students involved in the design, manufacturing, and assembly of a custom motorcycle. The students used their talents, skills, and imagination to create a “cool” chopper, while learning real world manufacturing techniques and processes in a hands-on environment. Chris Salow, founder of Shop Rat, sponsored the chopper kits.

In June 2007, the students took their chopper to Jackson, Michigan, to participate in a Bike Build-Off. The students from Chelsea Middle School, the south, competed with students from a school in the north in the creativity of a custom chopper. The preverbal North verses South rivalry.

Chris Salow founder of Shop Rats graciously gave us the chopper that the Chelsea Middle school students built. This bike was sold to the Barbers Motor Sports Museum. The proceeds from the sale of the chopper are being used to establish a southeastern chapter of Shop Rats. Thus the funds from the bike will be re-circulated to fund a similar project with another group of students.

The success of this unique extra curricular, educational endeavor relies heavily on the support of parents of participants, local businesses/industry, and educational organizations. The Shop Rat Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is to focus attention on the present and future generations of a skilled workforce. These young men and women will propel the world to the next level of technological advancements. Shop Rat recognizes and encourages creative and innovative thinking. Its goal challenges future Shop Rats to utilize creative problem solving techniques, work together as a team, create innovative solutions, and gain recognition for their hard work.