SAN DIEGO – Students in San Diego Continuing Education’s Job Training/Certificate Program for welding and steel fabrication celebrated with a grand sweepstakes award as the best entry for the float they built from scratch for Continuing Education’s entry into the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. parade on Sunday. It’s the second consecutive year the welding class took the top honor.
SDCE’s award-winning float included scenes to support parade theme Living the Dream, Let Freedom Ring. A life-size, 400 lb., hand-made liberty bell was mounted to the end of an 18-foot float bed, and a reduced model replica of the famous bus where Rosa Parks sat was parked at the opposite end. In between the two iconic symbols, a small cast of characters included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a podium delivering his “I have a Dream” speech to a make-shift audience seated in bleachers.
More than 20 students and instructors built the liberty bell and bus largely from scrap metal, steel, and paint donations. “Actually applying skills to a project, versus welding inside a booth for practice, gives students a real-life experience to apply what we’ve learned in class,” said instructor Mike Bradbury. “This hands-on training is incredibly valuable and the fact that students built a parade float that honors Dr. King also makes the work very meaningful.”
Students and instructors researched information to confirm correct specifications and details including the lettering on the bell, the placement of the famous crack in the bell, advertisements on the bus, and the images from the police report that showed exactly where Rosa Parks was sitting at the time of her famous arrest. All the students worked together to achieve a common goal.
“Our students’ involvement and pride was the key to our success in receiving the Grand Sweepstakes First Place Award,” said Dr. Anthony E. Beebe, President of San Diego Continuing Education. “It is due to the brilliant and talented students, and our amazing faculty, who built the handmade float from scratch. They made wonderful history with the parade float.”
In addition to the welding students who provided their enthusiasm, knowledge, and labor, other faculty and staff from Continuing Education’s Auto Body and Paint program, Diversity Committee, and Associated Student Body contributed significantly to the success of the float. Ms. Emma Wilson, Retired Adult Education Instructor, rode on the model bus as Rosa Parks, Emeritus Program Instructor Henry Merritt played the role of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and more than 300 students, faculty, staff, and administrators from Continuing Education marched with the float on Sunday along with nearly 100 other entries parading down Harbor Drive in honor of Dr. King. This year was the 33rd annual parade, which is coordinated by Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest Black fraternity in America.
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San Diego Continuing Education is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District. It was one of the first community college continuing education institutions in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. More than 75,000 students are served per academic year at six main campuses in San Diego. Noncredit classes are available at no cost, including online options.
Classes are free because San Diego Continuing Education is part of the California system of higher education. Funding also comes through business and industry partnerships.
Due to current statewide fiscal constraints, many classes offered by San Diego Continuing Education are at capacity, and many have waiting lists. It is likely that students may not be able to enroll in the class of choice due to these fiscal constraints, and unprecedented student demand. Continuing Education apologizes in advance for any inconvenience students may experience when attempting to enroll.