Three Learn4Life schools in Northern Los Angeles have found a creative way to draw students into the collision repair and automotive fields: building car models.

“It’s a fun elective and it has been great for mentorship and helping keep kids away from gangs,” said Anthony Castaneda, who teaches the class, in a press release. “We’ve seen students who were shy and withdrawn come alive in this program, discovering new talents and boosting their self-confidence.”

Castaneda is a student retention specialist whose job at Learn4Life is to make sure students are coming to school, turning in their homework, and completing tests. One of his colleagues gave him the idea to tie into the huge car culture in L.A. and let teens learn about cars while designing their dream car.

“It’s sort of like the MTV show ‘Pimp My Ride,’ just on a smaller scale,” he said. “They must earn a specific number of credits to participate, so those kids in the program are focused on schoolwork and even look forward to coming to school.”

And almost half the students in the program are girls.

“The girls tend to be more detail-oriented and are really good with finish work like airbrushing,” said Castaneda. “All the students are developing life skills like patience, attention to detail, and following instructions. But what I especially like to see is how they are developing friendships with others in the class.”

The 10-week course meets twice weekly for 60-90 minutes. Students also get to go on field trips to automotive museums and body shops. A highlight this year was a visit to West Coast Customs — an automotive custom shop known for creating one-of-a-kind cars for celebrities, sports stars, and even royalty.

“Their huge facility is filled with amazing automobiles,” Castaneda said. “Some of the students didn’t want to leave. It has sparked an interest in pursuing a career in the automotive industry for several students. We know that teens learn best by doing and collaborating, so fun classes where they can explore their creativity help make that happen.”

Each of Learn4Life’s 85 public schools has at least one student retention specialist on board.

March is Youth Art Month, a time to celebrate the skills children develop with visual art experiences.

Learn4Life noted the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs report states more than 73% of employers reported creative thinking skills as a top priority in hiring.

The report also lists autonomous and electric vehicle specialists as No. 7 among the top 15 fastest-growing jobs, at around 50% expected net growth by 2030.

“Even if students don’t plan to pursue a career in the arts, the skills they learn will help them stay competitive in today’s workforce,” said Tara Holeman, a Learn4Life art teacher, in a press release. “Approximately 40 percent of our brain is dedicated to visual processing visual, making it a critical skill to analyze and interpret the visual information that surrounds us.”

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Featured image: Students at Learn4life participating in the car model program. (Credit: Learn4Life/Business Wire)