LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College will receive a $150,000 donation from Rogers Motors Inc., of Lewiston for the naming rights of the auto shop, which will be part of the new Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center in the Lewiston Orchards.
The check ceremony will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, at Rogers Motors Inc. administrative headquarters, located at 1818 G St. in Lewiston.
The auto shop at the Schweitzer CTE Center will be known as the Rogers Motors Automotive Center.
The donation continues LCSC’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the community. Rogers Motors will be represented on the LCSC auto mechanics technology advisory committee, which helps the college stay abreast of best practices in the industry, align the program with industry and workforce needs, and connect LCSC graduates with employment opportunities. Rogers Motors managers will also advise the college on automotive curriculum.
“On behalf of Lewis-Clark State College, I express my sincerest thanks to Rogers Motors and the Rogers family,” LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton said. “We are very grateful for and excited about their generosity and what it will do to ensure that the facility and its programs are second to none. We look forward to working in collaboration with Rogers as this new chapter in LC career-technical education unfolds and know our auto mechanics program will be the better for it.”
LCSC offers a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, an advanced technical certificate, and an intermediate technical certificate in auto mechanics technology. The program develops skills for servicing and repairing all systems of an automobile. Students receive instruction in automotive theory and practical shop experience.
Rogers Motors Inc., has car dealerships for Toyota, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Subaru in Lewiston. Rich Rogers and his son Ryan Rogers are the owners of Rogers Motors Inc.
Ryan Rogers said Rogers Motors, Inc., has had a long and successful relationship with the college’s automotive and collision repair programs. He said the company regular hires LCSC graduates.
“We see that the addition of this new building and the new technology will be a huge attraction for schools in the area and surrounding areas,” Ryan Rogers said. “It will be an opportunity for us to attract people who will do a good job in our industry. It will be a win-win for the community, it will be a win-win for the future students of the college, and it will be win-win for us as a dealership.”
The Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center will be a regional CTE center, serving the needs of students from LCSC, neighboring Lewiston High School, and others throughout the region. The 75,000 square-foot facility will house most of LCSC’s Technical & Industrial Division programs including auto mechanics technology, CNC machining technology, information technology, engineering technology, industrial electronics technology, and heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R) technology.
Construction on the project is scheduled to start this spring and the Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center is scheduled to open in time for the fall 2020 semester.
In 2017, the Idaho Legislature approved the $20 million CTE building project and appropriated half of the money with the requirement LCSC must come up with the other $10 million. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories donated $2 million to the project, while SEL founder Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, and his wife Beatriz donated another $1 million.
As part of the fundraising effort, LCSC has generated $5,193,200 towards the CTE building. To learn more about naming opportunities visit: www.lcsc.edu/giving.