Harbor Freight is awarding more than $1 million in prizes to outstanding skilled trades teachers and their public high schools, it's an annual thing I just learned of

To reward and inspire the skilled trades teachers that teach high school students how to repair cars,  weld,  build houses,  install electrical systems and plumbing,... the tangible skills that lead to great jobs after high school graduation.

 Skilled trades teachers are heroes, and Harbor Freight annually takes the opportunity to recognize and reward them.

Three 1st-place winners and their schools will receive $100,000 ($30,000 to the teacher or teacher team, and $70,000 to their high school's skilled trades program)

Fifteen 2nd-place winners will receive $50,000 ($15,000 to the teacher or teacher team, and $35,000 to their high school's skilled trades program).

Starting today May 16th and ending July 6th, applications are welcome https://hftforschoolsprize.org/  for all USA public high schools

Even if you applied last year, and didn't get chosen, you can apply again this year. But once you click enter, you can't go back and edit. (so measure twice, cut once is the same as carefully write an application and read it over twice, and enter once... dang!)


Harbor Freight Tools for Schools was founded by Eric Smidt (owner of Harbor Freight Tools) from the deep respect for the skilled trades, and guiding desire to create real opportunity for kids who love to build, fix and create.

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is now one of the philanthropic programs of The Smidt Foundation. 

Last year there were only 700 applications:

The first‐place winners were
 Bob Kilmer, who teaches woodworking, computer‐aided design and architecture and construction from Enumclaw High School in King County, Washington,
Brendan Malone, who teaches marine systems technology at Urban Assembly New York Harbor School in Brooklyn,
and Jonathan Schwartz, who teaches advanced manufacturing at Colfax High School in Placer County, California.