STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Because of the Hayden School District vocational program, Kelsea DeBowes has an idea what she wants to do with her life. The junior also knows what she doesn’t want to do.
She and fellow junior Beth Leck painted a 1964 Chevy pickup a metallic blue Tuesday morning in the auto- body collision and refinishing class at the district’s Babson-Carpenter Career and Technical Education Center.
DeBowes, who already has several welding certifications, has taken a variety of vocational classes during her first three years of high school. But this was her first auto-body class.
“Getting a head start, it really helps,” DeBowes said about the vocational classes she’s taken. “You realize what you’re getting yourself into later in life. I now know that in college, I don’t want to do auto body.”
This school year was the third for the Babson-Carpenter center. Director Kevin Kleckler said about 80 students were in enrolled this year in beginning, advanced and college welding classes, automotive mechanics and auto body.
Kleckler, who teaches the classes, said it was a goal to create a facility that would teach students trades that would allow them to provide for their families.
“We have kids that go to Cornell and kids who go straight into the workforce,” he said. “As a school, we have a huge obligation to students. We need to do everything to make sure they’re ready to be successful.”
The classes have earned some revenue for the school system, from the sale of student-built restored cars, picnic benches, trailers and other projects, for which students get a portion of sales.
Superintendent Mike Luppes said Babson-Carpenter has generated about $96,000 for the district in its first three years. He said it’s helping to pay back the nearly $400,000 the district contributed to the $1.6 million project.
