The Peru Gazette

CALABASAS, Calif.—Eight high school skilled trades teachers and programs from New York State are among 50 teachers and teacher teams from across the country who were named today as finalists for the 2020 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. Peru High School teacher Leif Sorgule is one of the eight New York finalists. The teachers and their trades programs are in the running for a share of $1 million in total cash awards. The finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges from a field of more than 600 skilled trades teachers applied for the prize.

Leif Sorgule teaches technology, engineering, construction and manufacturing at Peru High School. Before becoming a teacher 11 years ago, Sorgule earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in technology education and worked previously as a marine mechanic and carpenter. He is also an adjunct professor at Clinton Community College. At Peru High, Sorgule boosts workplace readiness and skills by modeling his classrooms on working businesses: construction students bid on mini residential construction jobs, robotics classes build scale robotic arms for factory use and engineering students design, build and test scissor lifts. His courses integrate cutting-edge technology with hands-on use of tools, from coding CNC machines to metal fabrication, computer-aided design to woodworking.

The 50 finalists—some competing as individuals and some as teacher teams—hail from 23 states and specialize in trades including manufacturing, welding, construction, automotive, agriculture mechanics and technical theater. New York is tied with California for the most prize finalists of any state.

“Trades teachers are truly unsung heroes, and our prize seeks to show everyone how powerful these classes can be,” said Danny Corwin, executive director of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. “Skilled trades education has enormous potential to offer students pathways to multiple post-secondary opportunities, and these are the teachers who are providing them with the knowledge, skills and inspiration year after year.”

The 2020 finalists now advance to the second round of competition, where they will be asked to respond to online expert-led video learning modules designed to solicit their insights and creative ideas about teaching practices. The contenders 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 three of those teachers Grand Prize recipients. All winners will be announced in late October.

The 18 winners will split the $1 million prize. 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 individual skilled trades teacher or teacher team 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 or team. Finalists whose school, district and/or state policy prohibits the receipt of the individual portion of prize earnings were eligible to apply on behalf of their school’s skilled trades program. If they win, their entire share of the prize will be awarded to the school.