Johnson Controls donates two electric motor vehicles to Pulaski High School

Johnson Controls makes donation to Pulaski H.S.

MILWAUKEE -- Vehicle technology is advancing at an accelerating pace, as hybrid and electric vehicles become more popular and common. With more of these cars on the road, the need for those who know how to service them has grown. Milwaukee Public Schools’ Pulaski High School has received two of these vehicles for use training students.

At Milwaukee Public Schools’ Pulaski High School, students are getting a head start in auto mechanics thanks to a big contribution from Johnson Controls. They’ll not only learn on conventional vehicles, but now, on hybrid and electric vehicles as well.

On Wednesday, September 26th, the automotive battery supplier donated two vehicles to give teens the ability to learn on the most advanced vehicle technology out there today.

“To the students, I'm going to tell you, this kind of facility does not exist in many places,” Mary Ann Wright, VP of Technology and Innovation for Johnson Controls said.

Pulaski is believed to be the first school in the nation with these new cars as classroom tools.

“It’s going to put us on a path to learning something that we can actually use. We've just been getting the basics down, like how the braking works, regenerative braking and different concepts in the engine," senior Amanda Salas, who is taking the alternative fuel curriculum said.

Although Salas doesn't plan on a career in automotives, it does give her an edge in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

“Learning this technology at this young age opens up lots of doors for them,” automotive instructor Marc Prather said.

As part of the partnership, Johnson Controls engineers and scientists will also serve as mentors and coaches.

“We see this as an investment -- an investment in our community here and an investment in these students here,” Wright said.

Wright says it’ll help build a pipeline to develop local talent that can compete globally on this increasingly advanced technology.

Students in Pulaski's automotive program can earn credit to community colleges, like MATC. It also builds a bridge to one of Johnson Controls' biggest partners, the University of Wisconsin system.