ALC Night School News

ALC Night School Students Gain Real-World Insights from Local Stock Car Racer

Dassel-Cokato, MN  Area Learning Center (ALC) Night School students had a unique, hands-on learning experience this week as they welcomed local stock car racer Andrea McCain to share her expertise and passion for the sport.

With 11 seasons of racing experience, McCain provided students with a comprehensive look at the many facets of dirt track racing. Her presentation covered not only the excitement of competition, but also the business side of the sport, including sponsorships, advertising, and the strong sense of community among racers and fans.

Students also explored the technical side of racing, learning about race car setup, safety protocols, driver protection, and the relationship between fuel systems and engine performance. A highlight of the session was McCain’s demonstration showing how changes to a carburetor can directly impact horsepower and overall vehicle performance.

McCain regularly competes at the Arlington Raceway in Minnesota and has participated in IMCA events across the country, including races in Florida, Iowa, and Tennessee.

The visit offered students a valuable opportunity to see how skills and concepts learned in school connect to real-world applications in engineering, business, and teamwork.

ALC Night School extends its sincere thanks to Andrea McCain for sharing her time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with students.

Cokato Manor Welcomes ALC Students Friday Mornings

HS/ALC teacher Pat Schuette started this opportunity with kids and residents a handful of years ago and each year we are invited back to the manor to spend each Friday morning doing activities with residents. It is normally a full house when we come and residents join in the fun! We alternate students in 2nd hour to allow many HS students the opportunity to enjoy the activities. 

Joy Marshall, the director of activities at the Manor and Pat Schuett HS/ALC teacher have been collaborating each year to make the partnership work, and bring joy to the residents each week as well as for the students to gain an appreciation for elders in their community.

It has been great for both parties and I know many of the students as well as the residents look forward to each week. It is very easy to walk out of the manor on a Friday and have lots of smiles on kids faces and it is the talk for the rest of the day.