Achievement House Cyber Charter School’s field trips offers students and staff a fun filled alternative educational experience for personal interaction. On Friday, September 16^th, 2022, AHCCS students and staff attended a field trip to the Maple Grove Raceway located in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. This facility, which began operation in 1962, is centered around a quarter-mile straight racetrack which features NHRA Drag Racing plus other specialized automotive-oriented events.

Field trip attendees were able to gain career insights after speaking to industry brand professionals from such organizations as The Ford Motor Company, Pep Boys, and VP Racing Fuels. Also, students were able to obtain information from different motor vehicle technology schools in automotives, diesel, motorcycles, dirt bikes, and ATVs. Furthermore, information was provided about specialty programs in diesel mechanics, auto body & painting, welding, and much more.

Participants attended a panel discussion and Q&A session with industry leaders, current NHRA certified racecar mechanics, and current NHRA drivers. Attendees were then given pit passes for behind the scenes access to different NHRA teams preparing their cars for a race and the engine tuning process for an 11,000-horsepower racecar that can accelerate to 330mph.

AHCCS staff members Mrs. Kayla Ziegler, and Mr. Matt Breiner, who are racing fans, organized and chaperoned this field trip. Mrs. Ziegler’s Dad has been racing at Maple Grove since she was a child,  greatly influencing her passion for drag racing. Mr. Breiner, who also is a racing enthusiast, really enjoyed learning on the field trip how a pit team prepares their driver’s car to be race ready.

Mr. Breiner commented that his favorite part of the day was, “For me personally, getting to share one of my passions with students, but also connecting with those who already liked racing and seeing the awe from those experiencing it for the first time. It was nice for us to all be able to bond over a mutual interest or hobby.”

Mrs. Ziegler stated, “I really enjoyed just talking about making careers out of drag racing with the students. Many of the students who attended did not know that they could make a career out of this. So, finding what they are interested in and helping them make those important connections will hopefully help them in the future.”

The Achievement House students who attended this event, such as 11^th grader Polina Safonova and 9^th grader Dallas Baldwin, expressed their gratitude for being able to connect over a mutual activity with both Mrs. Ziegler and Mr. Breiner.

Polina was so excited about this AHCCS in-person field trip, and she traveled almost three hours to attend.

Polina stated, “The field trip was fun! The discussion of “work hard, play hard” that was brought up during the panel discussion with professionals in the automotive industry resonated with me. They talked about how it is important to have a good work ethic but still be able to separate your leisure time with work time. Personally, I found that really inspiring.”

Dallas chose to attend the Maple Grove field trip because he wanted to learn more about racing and future career options. He also has always had any interest in racing and was excited for this field trip.

Dallas said, “I was always into racing and have always wanted to learn more about it. Many of my friends race and I love to go to watch. I have always been apart of racing. So, that inspired me to attend this field trip and investigate what a career in racing would look like.”

Both Dallas and Polina expressed their excitement about the possibility of attending another in-person field trip soon. They both agree that it is important for the school to hold these events to give students the opportunity to build more connections with other Achievement House Cyber Charter School students and staff.

The Maple Grove Raceway Field Trip provided everyone who attended a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and insights into the racing industry. Achievement House Cyber School is looking forward to holding more in-person field trips to give students and staff the opportunity to explore and connect about shared interests.