The three Oklahoma finalists teach in Hennessey, Omega and Tulsa
LOS ANGELES – High school skilled trades teachers and their programs are often overlooked and underfunded. As the United States faces a critical shortage of skilled trades workers, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is shining a spotlight on excellent public high school skilled trades programs with its annual Prize for Teaching Excellence.
Today, the program announced that three public high school teachers from Oklahoma have been named as finalists for the prize. In the five-year history of the prize, these three teachers are the first finalists from Oklahoma. The finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges from among a field of more than 700 skilled trades teachers who applied for the prize. The 61 finalists are from 30 states and specialize in trades including advanced manufacturing, welding, construction, automotive and agriculture mechanics.
The winners will be announced in late October. More than $1 million in cash prizes will be shared by 18 teachers and their skilled trades programs.
“Despite the dramatic need for a new generation of workers, research has shown that most U.S. high school students do not have access to high-quality skilled trades programs. The goal of the prize is to highlight some of the most outstanding programs nationwide and to cele brate teachers who are making a big difference in the lives of students,” said Danny Corwin, executive director of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. “Our hope is that the stories of these dedicated teachers will inspire other communities to create similar programs for their own high school students. All high school students who want to learn a skilled trade and have a talent for working with their hands should have the same opportunity.”
These teachers are the three Oklahoma finalists.
Coty Green has taught automotive technology at Chrisholm Trail Tech Center in Omega, Oklahoma for three years. He was inspired to become a teacher to help students who flourish in non-traditional learning settings, like he did in high school. After a handful of years in different careers, including running a newspaper, repairing chemical injection equipment in the oilfield, and specializing in gas-engine performance and electrical systems at an auto dealership, he applied for and secured his current teaching post. Over the past three years, Green has seen a major change in his students as they have grown into peer leadership roles, earning A averages and several certifications. He works with an advisory board made up of local industry partners and employers to set his curriculum and connect graduating students with them to facilitate gainful employment. Green’s emphasis on teaching theory and hands-on practice in his classroom, as well as incorporating mock-interviews for seniors, sets his students up for career success. Green is one of the first three ever finalists of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence from Oklahoma.
Jorge Huizar has taught agriculture mechanics at Hennessey High School in Hennessey, Oklahoma for seven years. His own agriculture education teacher motivated him to enter the field, hoping to have a great impact on future students. Throughout the years of teaching, he found a passion in the welding and fabrication elements of his program, inspired by the industrial surroundings of his town and his students’ interest. Huizar has focused his efforts on providing his students with high quality education by updating shop equipment, classroom materials, and outdated curriculum through a number of grant and fundraising efforts. Within his accredited program, 80+% of students are more likely to enter the workforce career-ready than attend college. To build students toward this level of success, Huizar gets them comfortable with a variety of tools like arc welders, chop saws, rotary pipe benders, CNC plasma cutting machines, and more. He also emphasizes problem-solving both individually and as a team in the workshop to encourage confidence, collaboration, and professionalism. Huizar is one of the first three ever finalists of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence from Oklahoma.
Robbie Wise has taught Aviation Maintenance Technology at Tulsa Technology Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma for seven years. A graduate of the program himself, Wise initially took his skills to the military, where he served for five years as a structural and hydraulic mechanic in the Navy. He then transitioned to the Air National Guard before transitioning to teaching in 2014. Wise enjoys seeing the same passion and drive in his students as he experienced at their age, and strives to emulate the mentorship and impact he recalls from his own teachers. The program curriculum gives students the tools to become licensed aircraft mechanics and helps develop high schoolers into early career professionals. Projects cover grounds like metal fabrication, measurement accuracy to ten-thousandths of an inch, heat treating construction, blueprint design, aircraft wiring, and multimeter diagnoses for schematic interpretation. Wise is most proud of his coursework for instilling trust and confidence in students by giving them the chance to perform all kinds of skills and functions, both in the classroom and at annual SkillsUSA competitions. He trusts that the future of aviation is in good hands. Wise is one of the first three ever finalists of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence from Oklahoma.
There is rare bipartisan support for increased investment in skilled trades education in high school. More than 76 percent of Republicans, Democrats and Independents said they favor increased public funding for skilled trades education and think that offering skilled trades classes in high school should be a priority, according to polling by NORC at the University of Chicago. The poll was commissioned by Harbor Freight Tools for Schools.
Eric Smidt, the owner and founder of Harbor Freight Tools, said high school skilled trades programs provide a pathway not just to a good job, but also to a meaningful career and a good life.
“High school skilled trades teachers are heroes,” Smidt said. “Our teachers and their programs are an essential part of meeting the national challenge of educating the next generation of skilled trades workers.”
Winners join a nationwide network of outstanding trades teachers who convene throughout the year and in a three-day summer institute to share best practices and brainstorm ways to improve high school skilled trades programs.
The 2021 finalists now advance to a second round of competition, where they will be asked to respond to online expert-led learning modules designed to solicit their insights and creative ideas about teaching practices. The finalists will be asked how ideas from the modules might be used to inspire students to achieve excellence in the skilled trades. Two rounds of judging, each by separate independent panels of reviewers, will narrow the field to 18 winners and, finally, name the three Grand Prize winners and 15 additional prize winners.
Grand Prize winners will each receive $100,000, with $70,000 going to their public high school skilled trades program and $30,000 to the skilled trades teacher behind the winning program. The 15 additional winners will each be awarded $50,000, with $35,000 going to their public high school program and $15,000 to the teacher. Winners whose school, district and/or state policy prohibits receipt of the individual portion of prize award were eligible to apply on behalf of their school’s skilled trades program. If they win, the entire share of the prize will be awarded to the school.
Winners will be announced in late October.
About Harbor Freight Tools for Schools
Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is a program of The Smidt Foundation, established by Harbor Freight Tools owner and founder Eric Smidt, to advance excellent skilled trades education in U.S. public high schools. With a deep respect for the dignity of these fields and for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools aims to drive a greater understanding of and investment in skilled trades education, believing that access to quality skilled trades education gives high school students pathways to graduation, opportunity, good jobs, and a workforce our country needs. Harbor Freight Tools is a major supporter of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program. For more information, visit: harborfreighttoolsforschools.org