By Ashley Reyes
Auto-shop students from schools around the United States are making final customizations to their Jeep Wrangler TJs and 3rd-Gen Toyota 4Runners, as part of the SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program.
Students from Career Center Highschool, work together to install a winch on an '01 Jeep Wrangler.
The program, which was put hold on 2020 due to COVID-19, uniquely connects high school automotive shop classes with specialty-equipment manufacturers' products to build one-of-a-kind customized vehicles. Five of the ten vehicles will be auctioned off in late July, while the remaining five will be auctioned off in late September via Bring-a-Trailer.
The 10 participating high schools are:
- Career Center Highschool, Winston Salem, North Carolina; ’01 Jeep Wrangler
- Comstock Highschool, Kalamazoo, Michigan; ’97 Toyota 4Runner
- John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, Illinois; ’97 Toyota 4Runner
- McGavock High School, Nashville, Tennessee; ’04 Jeep Wrangler
- Mon Valley Career & Technology High School, Charleroi, Pennsylvania; ’02 Jeep Wrangler
- Omaha Public Schools Career Center, Omaha, Nebraska; ’96 Toyota 4Runner
- R.L. Turner High School, Carrollton, Texas; ’97 Toyota 4Runner
- Santa Fe ECO, Santa Fe, New Mexico; '22 Jeep Wrangler
- Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez, California; ’96 Toyota 4Runner
- Wichita Falls Career Education Center, Wichita Falls, Texas; ’99 Jeep Wrangler
Through the program, students are exposed to real-world, hands-on auto-tech skills while becoming engaged in the accessorization and customization lifestyle. The hands-on-learning opportunity will expose hundreds of students to the $50.9 billion automotive specialty-equipment industry.
The vehicles will be auctioned through the online platform and enthusiast community at Bring a Trailer.
More information is available at www.Bringatrailer.com.