Fifty Carbon County middle school students can now add engineer to their résumé.

On Thursday, the Carbon County SHINE Career Academy, administered through Lehigh Carbon Community College, presented a 24-foot DUI trailer to the police of Carbon and Schuylkill County Task Forces.The trailer, made possible through a partnership with Kovatch Mobile Equipment in Nesquehoning and Carbon Career & Technical Institute in Jim Thorpe, includes an office area where police can take suspected intoxicated individuals to have their blood drawn, refrigerated storage for the blood samples, a sink, and storage for all items needed to conduct a checkpoint.During the presentation, held at Kovatch, Jeanne Miller, director of the SHINE program; Rachel Strucko, coordinator of the Career Academy; and a number of area representatives that made this project possible, spoke about the importance of teaching the children careers of the future, while also focusing on improving academic skills."You did something great and very meaningful," Miller told the students in attendance."Everyone is so proud that we are dedicating this to you, the police, because our students believe that we needed to be part of public safety and we are invested in your efforts and hope that you will view this as a tool to help make a higher quality of life for our community."She noted that in addition to this project, all SHINE centers in Carbon and Schuylkill now are equipped with 3D printers, thanks to the help of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.Dr. Ann Bieber, LCCC interim president, congratulated the students and everyone involved with the project."Today we help celebrate the accomplishments of these young people and their contributions to the DUI checkpoint vehicle," she said. "I want to wish them my congratulations on behalf of the college."John Kovatch III, president and CEO of KME, said that the project was a great way to help the children learn."It was an honor and privilege to be able to participate in this," Kovatch said.Strucko explained that innovation is what makes this program so special for the students."Very few people in the country are doing what my 50 little ones have done in six weeks," she told parents, adding that the project started with an empty trailer. "They built it from the ground up into something that will hopefully save lives in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.She noted that this project helped teach the children team-building skills, how to work together, and problem solving all things that can be used in the classroom and in the workforce.Strucko then introduced Paige Shellhammer, a 10-year-old Lehighton Area Middle School student who took part in the project.Shellhammer said that she and her friends learned a lot about mechanical and electrical engineering, carpentry and graphics."I enjoyed learning about these careers, and more importantly, doing these hands on projects to create something wonderful. I feel proud that I was able to take part in creating the DUI trailer," she said.Following comments, Adam Graves, project manager at KME; and John Kovatch IV, vice president and director of customer service, made a special announcement.Graces explained that the employees enjoyed working with the SHINE Career Academy students so much, that they would like to continue the partnership.Kovatch then announced that beginning the first week of April, the company will again partnership with SHINE to create a race car.The project will begin with the skeleton of a small race car and the students will work to make it operational. They will then be able to try it out on the company's small racetrack.Kovatch added that one new thing that parents can enjoy during the project will be that the building that the students will work is equipped with a live feed camera system, meaning that the parents can log in and watch their student learn and work hands on during the project.Before the ribbon was cut, Mahoning Township Police Officer Audie Mertz, who heads the Carbon County DUI Task Force, thanked the students for their exceptional work."This is going to be an exceptional tool," he said.The DUI Trailer project was made possible through donations from a number of companies, including UGI Utilities, Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank and Kovatch; as well as state funding.