Cars for Schools Program Update
The Bureau of Automotive Repair’s (BAR) new Cars for Schools program repurposes vehicles retired through the Consumer Assistance Program to provide students in automotive technical training classes with additional hands-on learning opportunities. The program provides up to 350 vehicles annually to public high schools, community colleges, and regional occupational programs throughout the state.
“Cars for Schools leverages limited state resources for a meaningful cause that will help train the next generation of automotive technicians,” says BAR Chief Patrick Dorais. “This program should prove to be beneficial for both educators and students. We are thrilled to be in a position to facilitate the redirection of these vehicles for training purposes before they are crushed and permanently retired from service.”
On January 6, 2020, the Cars for Schools program transferred its first retired vehicle to College of the Sequoias for use in their automotive technical training courses. By mid-February, the program had provided twelve vehicles to schools in different areas of California. These included gasoline-powered and hybrid vehicles with model years ranging from 1989 to 2008. The program continues to receive applications from schools interested in participating.
Additional information is available on the Cars for Schools Program page at www.bar.ca.gov. Educators seeking more information may contact the Cars for Schools program by phone at (866) 361-3933 or by email at carsforschools@dca.ca.gov.