Many high schools have turned away from hands-on learning and towards computers from the confines of a classroom. Classes like shop and home economics have been discontinued, forcing students to only utilize one type of learning style. This has been a disservice to the students who are experiential learners or who strive to work in a trade as their career. Fortunately, founded in May 2012 by Detroit-area high school auto shop instructors Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. Tregembo, DRIVE One has begun to fulfill this disappearing art.
DRIVE ONE TechCenter is a 501(c)(3) that provides at-risk youth with vocational training in automotive technology, machining, welding, woodworking, and transportation design run by the Tregembo family.
Students are able to take the bus or drive to this one hour class to receive credit from their high school to learn something that isn’t available in the traditional classroom setting. We spoke with several students that have a strong passion for cars that are looking forward to using these skills long term.
This four generation family of sons Joseph Tregembo and Brandon, father Paul Jr. & grandfather Paul Sr. are dedicated to their mission and enjoy watching their students take what they’ve learned out into the real world.
One success story comes from Miranda Rumfelt, a 22-year-old designer at General Motors who first started coming to DRIVE One when she was just in 8th grade, making her one of the youngest students in attendance. Rumfelt found her niche in designing prototypes of cars with just her imagination and a ball of clay. Even after graduating, you’ll still find Rumfelt at DRIVE One every Thursday night where she is paying it forward and volunteering with the new students.
The team of students are working on six cars to be presented at this year's Autorama in hopes of building on their legacy and collection of awards and trophies that are proudly on display at the school. Four of the six vehicles in this exhibition are past student-built projects that have competed at the show a combined nine times. They will also have two new student-built project cars from this year’s class: a 1967 Pontiac GTO and a 1969 Pontiac Lemans, which students are finishing while restoring the other four cars.