By Rankin Barnes
How do we attract these budding engine builders? 3.7 million young people are educated in homeschools in the US. Some of these kids may just be interested in engines and engine performance. Many of these potential engine builders are creating personal Lego objects from a pile of leftovers. Often, they took apart their toys but now they can repair their own go-karts and bicycles. The homeschool parents will often encourage them to do the things they are interested in. Homeschool kids are learning to work on cars, build houses, repair electronic devices and a myriad of other tasks where they need to use their head as well as their hands to get the job at hand done. Homeschoolers typically study academics for three or four hours a day and the rest of the time they are open to seeking out other interests. But if they are 10 or 12 years old and are interested in machines, they’re not able to go into engine shops and hang out to learn by watching and asking questions like I did in the 1960s. There are many ways to attract interested homeschoolers and in this article, there are some unique ideas.
Engine Camp
Kids who might be interested in racing, drifting, restoring automobiles or antique tractors would probably be interested in attending a 3-day camp where small engines are taught from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A willing teacher may be available in your area. Possibly a homeschool CO-OP would be an alternative.
Mandy Rose has had lots of success by taking Crankin Engines on the road. Mandy has successfully taught over 1,000 students over the last nine plus years in Virginia and North and South Carolina.
Crankin Engines Camp is an exciting and engaging course that provides students with a hands-on approach to learning about small engines. During this camp, students have the opportunity to disassemble and rebuild an engine, allowing them to gain an understanding of its inner workings and how it operates. This is a camp for all ages. For more information, go to mechanichics.wixsite.com/website/crankin-engines-camp.
Read this article with all images in the digital issue of Engine Professional magazine https://engineprofessional.com/2024EPQ3/#p=28
Another Approach: Unschooling
Liz Batterson wrote in the Homeschooling Resources Facebook group, “Unschooling is removing the sit down, busy work. Adding a child’s natural curiosity as a way of learning so the child determines the topic, and you provide opportunities to explore that topic in ways that the child is interested in learning.”
A car crazy child might be interested in helping out with a local drag race team or a go-kart team just as a gofer. When you find that kid, help whet their appetite by allowing them to shadow or help an engine builder and or a failure-teardown. Alternative lessons would then be to get books, magazines, or courses about engines. Your investment in a kid will be rewarding.
The following is from the Texas Unschoolers website, texasunschoolers.com: “Our mission is to educate and support those families who are exploring an alternative approach to life and learning – and we have found that learning is not separate from life, but rather is deeply integrated into all that we do. We have seen many kids do very well outside the traditional public school model when they are allowed the time and resources to discover where their passions lie.”
Davina K., a homeschooling mom with 23 years of experience and six kids wrote in a blog: “Kids will naturally flock to what interests them, what speaks to their heart and their spirit! You don’t have to teach a child to learn unless we have first taught them to dislike learning! Give them time and freedom to chase after their interests. Boys will naturally gravitate toward the things that require the skills and strength that God has given them. You don’t have to ‘teach it’, you honestly can’t stop it, given the correct circumstances!”
Another Approach
Seek out the homeschool community in your town. Homeschoolers are a unique bunch. The following examples are some internet links to help you connect with homeschoolers in your community. State level organizations often have lists of the homeschool groups in that state. Make personal contact with some of the leaders in your town.
• Texas: texashomeeducators.org/resource-directory/statewide-groups
• North Carolina: nche.com/community/regions
• Georgia: ghea.org/connect-with-others/specialty-classes
• Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA): hslda.org
Specialty Classes are classes or services geared specifically for homeschoolers that are offered for a cost by a specialty business or service.
Some would say that kids today just want to be on their phone and sometimes this is true, however our experience, at the 2024 Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Conference, would prove the opposite. Kids of all ages stopped by the AERA booth to see the small engine teardown and the Choate Engineering Performance diesel being assembled. There are homeschooled kids in every community who just might be interested in engines. They will be the next generation who are learning to work with their hands, and they will be using their minds to solve complex problems. These young people, across the country, are an untapped resource to help solve our labor problem.
Rankin Barnes of High Point, North Carolina, has 32 years experience teaching Automotive Technology at state and community colleges. He was the recipient of the Presidents Award for Teaching Innovation and the Excellence in Teaching Award. He has owned and managed automotive repair businesses and has established apprentice programs. For more information, go to crankinengines.com or email: rankinbarnes@gmail.com.
Read this article with all images in the digital issue of Engine Professional magazine https://engineprofessional.com/2024EPQ3/#p=28