DRIVE One's Mission:
"To provide Career Technical Education and training vocational skill-sets to students Grades 7-12 who are at risk or whose interest in technology is underserved or unavailable"
DRIVE One is a 501(c)(3) that provides at-risk youth with vocational training in Automotive Technology, Machining, Welding, Woodworking, and Transportation Design.
It was founded in May 2012 by a Detroit-area high school auto shop instructor as a means to fill the skills gap following the Great Recession of 2008.
Over the last six years, DRIVE students have received national attention, beginning with the 2014 Grand National Roaster Show, where our ’31 Ford Roadster was the first high-schoobuilt car to compete for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) Award.
Their projects have won multiple awards at the largest indoor car show in North America
(the Piston-Power Autorama in Cleveland, OH), have been one of only 120 cars to place at
the largest outdoor car show in North America (the 2017 GoodGuys PPG Nationals in
Columbus, OH), and our student-composed Motorsports Team has been ranked as one of
the Top 20 Street Stock race teams in the Country TWICE (first in the 2015 Great American
Racing Series [GARS] Season and again in the 2018 Championship Racing Association
[CRA] Season).
Overtime, DRIVE has expanded to include programs in Welding/Fabrication and Transportation Design, with both programs being crowned as State Champions at the Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society (MITES) State Finals EVERY YEAR from 2015 to current.
DRIVE One offers weekly after-school programming to held students harness their skills for post-secondary success. This includes working on project cars, conducting service on customer vehicles, specialized classes in welding and transportation design, and so much more.
Students Work On The First High-School Built Project Car to Compete at the Detroit Autorama: 1973.
High School Nationals @ Milan Dragway: 1990's.
Student-Built Stock Car At Mt. Clemens Race Track: 1977.
Students Work On The First High-School Built Project Car to Compete at the Detroit Autorama: 1973.
Auto Tech
Established:
July 2012
Goal:
Students will learn all aspects of automotive form & function, from learning how to diagnose a problem to finding that problem's solution. They will do so by applying taught skills on both project cars & daily drivers.
Certifications:
National Association of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
State of Michigan Mechanic's License
Auto Body
Established:
July 2012
Goal:
Students will learn all aspects of automotive form & function, from learning how to diagnose a problem to finding that problem's solution. They will do so by applying taught skills on both project cars & daily drivers.
Certifications:
Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair
(I-CAR)
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Machining
Established:
July 2012
Goal:
Students will learn basic metal-working skills requiring the use of lathes, mills, and CNC's to complete projects for competitions, and expand horizons through the use of available internships and employment opportunities.
Welding
Established:
September 2013
Goal:
Students will learn the various forms of welding using all types of welding equipment, going from Arch/Stick to MIG and TIG, as well as metalworking tools
in-preparation for eventual career placement and certification.
Certifications:
American Welding Society (AWS)
Auto Design
Established:
April 2014
Goal:
Students will learn the fundamentals of Automotive Design, from a initial rendering, to final edition, to production scale-model. Students will also work on different design projects, such as pedal cars, from start to finishing product.
The Opportunities Are Limitless:
Upon enrollment, students aren’t just given the opportunity to expand their skills and future: they are also given the opportunity to explore the world outside our campus through “Racing, Automotive, and Competitive Events (R.A.C.E.) Exhibitions. Every project a student works on is built with the intention of it being used outside the classroom. The same goes specifically with our Career Technical programs, where student-built project aren’t built for service, but for competition. These competitions include:
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The Detroit Autorama
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GoodGuys Events
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The Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society (M.I.T.E.S.) Regional & State Finals
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Championship Racing Association (CRA) Street Stock & Late Model Races
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National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) & IHRA Drag Racing Events
Students also have the opportunity to participate in:
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Tours of various Industry and Manufacturing Facilities (ex: NASCAR Shops, FCA Product Development Office)
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DRIVE-centric events, including our DRIVEarama Summer Car Show and December Holiday Party
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Featured articles and news-specials about DRIVE One and its students.
No other school provides its students with such amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see what is available to them in the real world.
