Acceler8

Acceler8 gives young people the chance to turn a love of cars into a real, in-demand career that will support them and their families. Through hands-on training, mentorship from mechanics and law enforcement officers, and job readiness support, we help youth who’ve been left behind build something better. This grant will fund daytime and weekend classes at our downtown garage and Mobile Classroom—getting students under the hood, into the shop, and on track to jobs that can change their lives.

Acceler8 is a youth mentorship and automotive workforce training program created by two veteran law enforcement officers, providing social justice and economic equity by guiding, lifting up and preparing youth for self-supporting careers. The Acceler8 program reaches two high-needs groups in Los Angeles: high school students at risk due to their behavior, academic status, or family situation; and "opportunity youth", those ages 16-24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the workforce.

Acceler8, an innovative new automotive education program, pairs at-risk teens and opportunity youth with volunteer law enforcement officers and automotive professionals, joined by a common passion for automobiles. We support youth at risk for gang and/or juvenile justice involvement in learning skills that prepare them for jobs in the automotive and trades workforce. We seek to secure a stationary garage facility and to build a staff adequate to the ever-expanding demand for our program.