Girls Inc. of NH get their hands dirty at Lakes Region Community College

LACONIA — Lakes Region Community College hosted Girls Inc. of Manchester in their Automotive facility on July 29. Girls from ages 11 to 16 visited stations throughout the shop to engage in interactive tutorials on changing tires, wiper blades, headlight bulbs, and checking tire tread. LRCC’s state-of-the-art auto facilities fit in perfectly for the group’s summer theme of “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.”

This experience was headed by LRCC faculty member Kim Stevenson, who is the only female college-level auto instructor in the state of New Hampshire. Stevenson, a Toyota T-TEN specialist, believes strongly in the Girls Inc. mission and hopes that these kinds of efforts will result in more female interest in this field.

“In my experience, when it comes to auto mechanics, more men than women come into this field with some outside experience. They have worked on cars with their dads and usually know some basics. Unfortunately, auto tech isn’t something that the average girl is exposed to, and I’d love to do my part to change that. Many women are detail oriented and given the opportunity and exposure, make fantastic mechanics,” said Stevenson.

Sponsors from Toyota T-TEN, Grappone Automotive Group, McGovern Automotive Group, NHADA, and Best Ford of Nashua all endorsed and worked this event. These industry professionals explained their jobs to the attendees, gave guidance at the stations, and provided “swag bags” for the girls.

The attendees enjoyed their custom pink t-shirts, played in the cars, and went away with some basic automotive safety and maintenance skills. The event concluded with a lunch gathering at the campus cafe, provided by LRCC. According to the faculty, sponsors, and most importantly Girls Inc., this visit was a success.

For more information, visit www.lrcc.edu.

For more information, visit girlsincnewhampshire.org.