College News: ICC Automotive Course Shifts Into High Gear
By Raymond Pignone, Columbia-Greene Media, Dec 1, 2023
Angela Rolon/CGCC Assistant to Marketing and Communications Technology teacher Joseph Zink instructs lchabod Crane high school students in an introduction to Automotive Technology class in ICC’s new STEAM Wing.
VALATIE – In September 2022, voters in the Ichabod Crane Central School District approved completion of a $27 million capital project that began in 2018 and included the Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics Wing.
Cut to December 2023. The STEAM Wing, as it is known, is the home of a new Columbia-Greene Community College course through a partnership between the college and ICC.
The course was introduced to Ichabod Crane High School in September for the fall semester. It was added to the roster of technology courses ICC offers in the new STEAM Wing.
Joseph Zink, an automotive service instructor with Questar Ill and an ICC technology instructor, teaches the new course, Introduction to Automotive Repair, known as AU 128. Upon successful completion, ICC students will earn four credits through C-GCC’s College in the High School program.
The course is one of several available to Ichabod Crane high school students through the College in the High School program.
“This multi-year, collaborative project wouldn’t be possible without the strong support from the school district and Columbia-Greene’s automotive technology department,” said Christy Ward, director of Columbia-Greene’s College in the High School program. “The college deeply values this unique opportunity to offer a technical education course at one of the local high schools. The experience will help students solidify their interest in the field of automotive technology by introducing them to many exciting career opportunities that are in high demand.”
Ichabod Crane’s STEAM Wing was a cornerstone project within the district’s multi-phase capital project. It developed into the structure through which the district could introduce new courses like AU 128.
“It continues to be amazing to see the STEAM Wing come to life,” Ichabod Crane High School principal Craig Shull said. “I’m so grateful to the team at Columbia-Greene who worked tirelessly to make AU 128 a reality. Since the STEAM Wing’s inception, we’ve added new courses and created new collaborations that have benefited our students greatly as they approach their final years at Ichabod Crane.”
The course introduces students to the field of automotive technology and helps them develop the skills, knowledge and professional ethics necessary to begin as an entry-level technician.
In a recent Introduction to Automotive Repair class, Ichabod Crane students were introduced to tire machines. Zink guided the students as they removed the tires from the vehicle, which was raised in the air on a lift.
Scott Bertram, a senior at Ichabod Crane High School, said he values the opportunity to learn more about automotive repair, a subject that interests him, before he goes to college. If he decides to pursue the field, he will have the advantage of four college credits if he successfully completes the course.
“l really like the course,” Bertram said. “It’s very interactive and hands-on.”