You may have heard folks extolling the lack of interest in today’s youth for anything automotive. On the contrary, the folks at the Piston Foundation are finding quite a different reality. In fact, in just its second year, the organization is awarding over twice the number of scholarships than it did in 2022. For 2023, the Piston Foundation is awarding 23 scholarships to enthusiastic, and well-deserving individuals.

The Piston Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity helping young people acquire the education and hands-on training to build a career in the collector car industry. The Foundation provides trade school scholarships, supports shops and aspiring technicians with apprenticeships, and advocates for skilled trade careers in automotive restoration.

The Piston Foundation offers young folks a means of receiving skilled trade education through both its scholarship and apprenticeship programs.

Scholarships totaling $105,000 have been awarded to 23 deserving students who are training for careers in automotive restoration, collection management, and vintage motorsports. This year’s scholarship recipients were chosen from among 130 applicants, from 37 states, attending 27 different schools.

Scholarships were funded by the foundation’s Cars For Piston Scholars campaign, which converts collector car donations into education and training for the next generation. Working with entities such as Bring-A-Trailer and Adam’s Polishes, finances from auto auctions have helped fund the scholarships. Piston Scholars received scholarship awards of up to $5,000 per school year to help pay tuition at the automotive school of their choice. The funds can be any accredited 2- or 4-year institution.

If you would like to know more about the Piston Foundation and feel a calling to help provide skilled trade education and create career opportunities in the collector car industry, check out the Piston Foundation’s website. Rather than lamenting over the perceived lack of enthusiasm by today’s youth, we can all offer some level of support and guidance to the next generation of auto enthusiasts.