Junior and senior students in the Oakland Schools Technical Campus-Northwest (OSTC-NW) Collision Repair and Refinishing program have been using the technical skills they have gained in class to raise money for various charities throughout the school year.
With guidance from a core team of peers, students have chosen to help their local community while also developing important industry skills that will serve them in their careers well after graduation.
The students’ current fundraising effort focuses on putting car detailing skills into practice.
Customers can bring their vehicles to OSTC-NW for services that include cleaning and interior and exterior detailing. In exchange for cash payment, customers can donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization committed to serving the thousands of military servicemembers who have been wounded physically and emotionally.  The students have also raised money for the Oakland County Animal Shelter.
The Collision Repair and Refinishing program prepares students to repair, restore, and refinish vehicles to showroom condition – using the same advanced painting, welding and repair equipment used by automotive professionals.
During the holidays, students led a similar fundraiser where they constructed crafts by welding together reclaimed horseshoes into reindeer and snowmen statues. Proceeds from this project were designated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
The OSTC-NW Collision Repair and Refinishing program has raised more than $5,000 this school year.

PHOTO: Students in the OSTC-NW Collision Repair and Refinishing program, including Clarkston students (in blue jackets) Colin Farmiloe, Teagan Martin, Aiden Payne, and Katie West, recently presented a check for $1,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project. Photo: Provided by OSTC-NW