Mayor Greg Fischer on Monday honored 49 public, private and Catholic students who have excelled in and out of the classroom with his annual Outstanding High School Seniors Award.
This year’s recipients include immigrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Mexico and other countries, along with students who have overcome illness, personal struggles, disabilities and behavioral issues to achieve success.
The students include 16 National Honor Society members, nine Governor’s Scholars, two National Merit finalists and others who have excelled in the arts and on the sports field. Nearly all of the students have plans for college, and three are enlisting in the military.
All have contributed to their community through service work, including several involved in the Mayor’s Give A Day week of service and the international WE Day.
“These students have shown resiliency and a commitment to learning and to compassion,” the Mayor said. “We celebrate them, and we hold them up as models for other students in our community.”
Principals and guidance counselors at public, private and Catholic schools throughout Louisville nominated students for the award, which were presented in a ceremony on Monday evening at Metro Hall.
Ford is the presenting sponsor of the Outstanding High School Seniors Award, which began in the mid-1980s. AT&T and C&H Audio Visual Services are supporting sponsors.
On Friday afternoon, Jeffersontown High School students will put project-based learning to the test when they compete in a series of solar go-kart races as part of the school’s Solar Challenge—highlighting the value of real-world, project-based learning in the classroom.
Through a partnership with Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL), the Ford Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP), the Solar Energy Solutions company and the City of Jeffersontown, all Jeffersontown High School sophomores, juniors and seniors had a specific role this school year while working in teams to design and build solar go-karts. Students will drive the go-karts in timed races during Friday’s race-day celebration at the school campus, which will also feature student exhibits and a car show showcasing cars of the past, present and future.
“We know that the abilities to create, innovate and solve challenging problems are all important skills for our students to develop and learn, because we know how essential those skills are in today’s workforce,” said Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Director of College & Career Readiness Christy Rogers. “That’s why these kinds of hands-on, project-based learning experiences are so beneficial to our students, as are the powerful community partnerships we have with companies, like Ford, that help make them a success.”
Jeffersontown High is one of the district’s career-theme schools for engineering (manufacturing and construction), where students may earn an industry certification while earning a high school diploma. Students at Jeffersontown High invest time developing marketable skills in high-demand areas such as computer-aided design (CAD), advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance technology (IMT), machine tool technology, engineering and welding.
Designated a Powered by Ford Academy in 2013, Jeffersontown High and its students benefit from unique opportunities to work with Ford Motor Company employees. Over the past four years, Ford LAP employees have invested time partnering with the school to host field trips, provide job shadow opportunities, hire students for internships and partner with teachers to develop unique lessons involving real-world challenges. Additionally, the Ford Motor Company Fund sponsored the purchase of the materials for the solar panel go-karts.
Throughout the school year, Jeffersontown engineering students served as project managers for the Solar Challenge; students studying computer-aided design created prints for the go-karts; advanced manufacturing and IMT students installed the solar panels; machine tool technology and welding students completed the fabrication; and English, math and science students helped with technical writing, ratios and energy calculations. Freshman students built solar car models on their own to help guide their interest in one of the many career programs offered at Jeffersontown.
Ford has issued two recalls affecting over 440,000 vehicles in North America, including ones made here in Louisville, due to problems that might cause engine fires and unexpected door opening.
One recall affects 230,756 Escape SUVs, subcompact Fiesta ST cars, mid-size Fusion cars, and Transit Connect vans with 1.6-Liter turbocharged engines manufactured from 2013 through 2015. Ford Motor Company says the engines can overheat enough that the cylinder head can crack, causing oil to leak, which can catch fire.
Ford has had 29 reports of such fires, but nobody has been injured due to the defect so far. The release says that owners of these vehicles may keep driving them but should go to a dealer if the cars overheat or frequently need coolant.
In a second round of recalls, Ford is adding an additional 210,619 vehicles to an existing recall to replace faulty door latches on 2014 Fiesta cars as well as 2013 and 2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars. These vehicles have door latch component that could potentially break and allow the door to swing open while driving. The company reports that it has not had any reports of crashes or injuries due to the issue.
Together, the recalls will cost the company around $295 million and bring the total number of vehicles affected by recent recalls to 570,000.