STAR, IDAHO — Steve's Auto Care hosted local teens for a car care clinic early Saturday morning in order to teach future car owners how to upkeep their vehicles.
- Steve Green hosted several teens for a clinic on car maintenance.
- Green believes kids nowadays miss out on these skills as auto classes have been taken out of many schools.
- Green wants to make this a regular clinic once a month if he gets the clear from Parks and Rec.
- The next clinic is planned for Saturday, June 8. Green will announce details on his socials.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
For many drivers like myself, checking the oil is one of the few things I actually know how to do before I have to take it to the shop. However, Steve Green at Steve's Auto Care is making sure the next generation of drivers is a little more independent. I'm your Star neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston and I joined Green for his car care clinic.
"I started ripping things apart when I was 12-13 years old," said Green.
The sounds of drills and ratchets interrupted the calm breeze in Star on Saturday morning. Garage doors open at Steve’s Auto Care means business, but this time he wasn't just fixing up cars.
Green explained, "I am offering my time and my business to help teach the young kids how to maintain their own vehicles, how to check their own things."
"The first class we learned about oil changes, tire rotation, the simple stuff like that. This class we learned about the brake inspection, the brake pad, and filling up your tire with air," said student Luna Bonilla.
For a long time, most schools had classes that would teach you these kinds of skills classes that Green says he's noticed are beginning to disappear.
Rylee Shafer, a mechanic at Steve's Auto said, "I think it’s really cool because this is all stuff you get scammed at other shops for, and if you can learn how to do it yourself, you will be in a better position. A lot of times it's a really easy fix, and if you can do that yourself, it's so much more helpful."
Shafer has been working under Green for about three years now. Shafer explained that she learned a few things from her dad growing up, but that learning became a hobby which led her to the garage.
"We started out on Saturdays. I would help him with oil changes, brake jobs, the simple stuff. Then we got to spring break and he brought me on to work all day during the break," Shafer said. "Now I am at the point where I come in during breaks, come in after school, do weekends, and do a little bit of everything now."
Now she is helping Green teach a group of kids her age and below how to keep up their cars in the shop's first set of clinics.
Shafer exclaimed, "Even if you don't end up going into an automotive job, it's still helpful to know all this stuff for your own vehicles."
"And that's what I am trying to teach here, so that they could, 'Hey mom don't worry about that! I can check that tire pressure. Do you need that battery changed? I'll change that for you Mom!' Just things like that," finished Green.
Green says he wants to continue teaching this shop as a once-a-month deal with the Star Parks and Rec, and says once he knows for sure that he can continue, he will announce it on his socials.
