Yonkers’ Charter School of Educational Excellence has formed a partnership with the Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program to increase student job opportunities in the automotive industry.
Students who participate in the ACE program will gain access to Ford Service Technician Specialty Training eLearning courses – the same curriculum that certified Ford/Lincoln technicians receive. Students who successfully complete the ACE courses have the advantage of transferring their learning records to job opportunities at ACE program partnering dealerships.
“We understand that children thrive in many ways, so our school offers vocational skills training in addition to our rigorous college-focused curriculum,” said Eduardo LaGuerre, chairman of the CSEE’s board of trustees. “The ACE program will operate within our three-year automotive program focusing on automotive service specialist careers in our state-of-the-art automotive technology lab.”
ACE is a partnership program among Ford Motor Co., Ford / Lincoln dealerships and secondary and postsecondary educational institutions. The program raises awareness and increases interest in career opportunities within the automotive industry, ultimately those of service technicians. Tasca Ford Yonkers at 900 Central Park Ave. is the school’s dealership partner.
The high school’s automotive technology lab is a fully functional auto service garage with two hydraulic lifts, an alignment lift and a classroom separate from the garage.
ACE is a supplement to a general automotive program, meaning participants do not graduate from ACE but receive credit for successfully participating in courses that can contribute to the completion of Ford’s internship or specialized training programs.
The ACE initiative is the CSEE’s latest in the 2023-24 academic year. Other accomplishments include:
- the premiere of the school’s first high school musical, “Godspell”;
- the opening of a new fitness and health center;
- almost 1,100 college acceptance letters for the Class of 2024.
The CSEE is a kindergarten through 12th grade charter school with more than 1,000 students. From its opening in 2005, the CSEE has positioned children for success. The Class of 2023’s graduation rate was 96.5%, well above New York state’s 2023 graduation rate of 86%.
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