LOUISA COUNTY, Va. β Students at Louisa County High School are learning more than just how to fix cars. They're learning how to help their community.
The school's auto tech program teaches 11th graders like Tyler Shelton about car mechanics while also serving local residents.
"We're learning about all the electricity of the car and how the wiring works," Shelton said.
The program provides students with hands-on experience working on real vehicles. They repair cars for teachers, fellow students and neighbors at reduced prices.
"This class teaches you a lot of like, if you can't figure it out, you just gotta keep trying. Like it teaches you that failing is okay," Shelton said.
But the program goes beyond basic repairs. Students also restore cars to give away to single mothers who need transportation.
Shane Robertson, who teaches the auto tech class, says the program benefits everyone involved.
"The last one we did, we roll up the garage door and like, the moment of surprise, like, you have to be there to see it," Robertson said.
Louisa County Public Schools Superintendent Doug Straley believes the program teaches valuable life skills.
"When you walk into this automotive lab, it's a showcase of lifelong learning students, hands-on learning skills is going to go for a lifetime, and not only to help themselves, but help others as well," Straley said.
The car giveaway program began through a partnership with Eddie Brown and his nonprofit group, Giving Words. Brown started the charity nearly 8 years ago after experiencing hardship as a single parent.
"I remember as a single parent sitting in the floor, coloring with my children and not being present because I was worried about how I was going to feed them," Brown said.
Understanding the difficulties parents face without reliable transportation, Brown began repairing cars for struggling families. He later partnered with Louisa's auto program to expand the service.
"We started bringing our cars in and having students go through them, get them ready," Brown said. "So far, we've given over 60 cars away. We've repaired over 260 cars."
The program provides critical help to mothers who previously saw no solution to their transportation problems.
"Typically, what it was is there wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel. There wasn't somebody saying yes and somebody helping," Brown said. "We want to be able to stabilize a mom."
The emotional impact of receiving a car affects both the recipients and the students who work on the vehicles.
"Students working on that car, and he's putting forth all that effort, but he doesn't know the emotion that's going to come when he sees that mom come in in tears," Brown said.
For students like Shelton, the program teaches both technical skills and compassion.
"Not everybody has everything they want. And given something that someone needs, it feels good," Shelton said.
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