Effingham County School District unveiled Hyundai EV Lab, provided by Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America

RINCON, Ga. (WTOC) - Students in Effingham County are now getting an one-of-a-kind experience, learning how to build, repair, and maintain electric vehicles that can translate to the field when they begin searching for a career.

Effingham County School District unveiled its new “Hyundai EV Lab” that was provided by Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) on Friday, October 24.

“You can learn a lot from watching a YouTube video, you can learn a lot from a PowerPoint, but where you really ingrain that learning is to put your hands on it,” said CEO of Effingham College &Career Academy Todd Wall.

They were able to accomplish this new educational tool through several partnerships and grants.

“If there’s an opportunity, we want to make sure that we plug in our school system and we plug in for our students so they can have those benefits,” he said.

Students in the manufacturing and engineering pathways are already benefiting from this additional educational course, as they rolled out one of their own EVs they built earlier this year.

The Hyundai EV Lab represents a significant partnership between education and industry, according to Hyundai leadership.

“That means a lot to the school system, but it also means a lot to us, where young people can dream big dreams, and then live those dreams right down the road,” said HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs.

READ MORE: Hyundai partners with Effingham Co. schools for job training

It’s an opportunity for students throughout our region, like Rowan Smart, to learn more about EVs in today’s world, to then help them find a job in the near future.

Smart, a 16-year-old student, said, “I’m really glad that we can be a part of that and something that we can actually do.”

The school now accommodates 150 students per grade level. Students living in the Effingham County School District may attend the STEM Program.