Chiho Chan and Mark McKim love cars. So much so that passion kept them out of trouble as mischievous teens. Now they are passing on that passion and helping at-risk youth discover a sense of purpose in Vancouver’s Customs for Urban Teens (CUT) program.

In cooperation with the Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association (KAYA), they now have a shop and are teaching kids hands-on skills to rebuild cars, from removing the engine to cutting out and fabricating new parts from old metal.

Without much of a budget the program is completely run by volunteers. Chiho, a car rebuilding enthusiast and experienced grant writer, got the bureaucratic ball rolling. Mark is the machinist and custom car builder and Adam Clark, a certified hydraulic fit technician, has come on board as an instructor.

The program has become popular very quickly so the next build session is already full with a waiting list. In the time I spent with these kids I got a real sense of how much they enjoyed the project in front of them, which contrasted sharply against their smoke break conversations about curfews and lawyers. When asked about the success of the program Chiho said, “This is one of the best things I’ve done in my professional life.”