COLLEGE AUTO REPAIR PROGRAM EARNS COALITION CERTIFICATION.

Byline: Joanne Crawford Education

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College has become the first community college in California to have its automotive technology program certified by the Automotive Repair Coalition.

``The Automotive Repair Coalition gave the college its highest competency ranking - level three - in five areas: engine repair, heating and air conditioning, emission systems, suspension systems and brake systems,'' campus public relations director Steve Standerfer said.

The Sacramento-based ARC consists primarily of after-market companies such as Firestone, Goodyear and Sears looking for skilled automotive technicians. The level-three certification in California Automotive Technician Training Standards means a graduate of the college's program will have complete comprehensive training in the specified skill areas and will require minimum supervision, Standerfer said.

The certification is indicative of the excellent work of the faculty in preparing students for their chosen career, AVC President Linda Spink said.

The program met the requirements that the repair coalition was looking for, automotive instructor Chuck Capsel said.

Capsel, along with instructor John Knapp, worked to obtain the certification, Capsel said.

One of the key factors in the process is the fact that the program is industry-driven, he said.

``This certification indicates that the program at Antelope Valley College is a high-quality, comprehensive automotive program which meets the high standards of the automotive industry,'' said Maggie Drake, AVC Technology Education Division dean. ``The industry will recognize that students who complete our program are well-prepared to meet their needs.''

Drake believes an infusion of new, state-of-the-art automotive equipment and training stations over the past two years helped AVC obtain the certification, she said.

< Lancaster United Methodist Children's Center is accepting applications for its kindergarten.

The program also offers after-school care, kindergarten teacher Jo Marie Brandon said.

The nondenominational center, which is one of the ministry projects of Lancaster Methodist Church, was known since 1963 as the Lancaster United Methodist Preschool, Brandon said. The name was changed in 1997 with the establishment of the kindergarten to reflect a center that houses both programs, she said.

``Our kindergarten is a full-day kindergarten,'' Brandon said. ``We run 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It's nondenominational. You don't have to be Methodist. You don't even have to go to the church here. It's just one of the ministries of the church.''

The kindergarten follows state guidelines, Brandon said.

The cost of the kindergarten program is $265 a month, interim director Pennie Leighton said.

The preschool program runs from two to five days a week, she said.

The center conducts some fund raising, always welcomes donations and is open to the idea of possible business sponsorships, Leighton said.

For more information about the kindergarten program and a breakdown of prices and other details for the preschool, contact the center at [phone].