LAS VEGAS — Sometimes a book can inspire young children to pursue a particular career when they grow up. That's why the TechForce Foundation is promoting a new book to encourage kids, especially girls, to consider a career in the automotive aftermarket.
The new children's book, "The Car that She Built," written by Mollie Elkman and illustrated by Kay Wolfersperger, is backed by TechForce and underwritten by NAPA Auto Parts.
The book, geared for primary grades, follows women in various jobs involved in designing, building and maintaining a car.
TechForce, a nonprofit that encourages and supports students to pursue careers in the aftermarket, introduced the book during the Women in Auto Care awards ceremony at AAPEX, Nov. 6.
"We are proud to support the launch of this book. We love this project. We want to continue to inspire the next generation of girls who see themselves as in the lab, in the bay, at the counter, in the boardroom, or wherever they want to be," said Sheonny Harrell, director of integrated marketing and strategic programs at NAPA Auto Parts.
Each page features a job involved in the development of a car and ends with the automotive technician who maintains and repairs the vehicle. The last page is blank so the reader can draw their own car.
The author's first book was "The House that She Built," and when TechForce learned that she planned to write a book about the skilled trades involved in building and maintaining a car, the foundation jumped at the chance to get involved, according to TechForce CEO Jennifer Maher.
NAPA funded the illustrations and TechForce reviewed the manuscript for accuracy, Maher told Tire Business.
"We ran it by our advisors and we'd come back a couple times and be like, she needs protective eyewear, or a hard hat, and just make sure that there's PPE (personal protection equipment) so it's accurate," she said.
NAPA funded the printing of an initial 250 copies and then another 2,000 or 3,000 copies to distribute to schools around the country, she said.
TechForce plans to visit primary schools and host book reading with the author.
Maher has said that it is important to reach students at a young age to consider the trades before external misconceptions dissuade their interest.
