David Black, an advanced manufacturing and engineering teacher at Clark Magnet High School in Glendale, is among five Southern California high school skilled trades teachers are among the 52 teachers and teacher teams from across the country who were named as semifinalists for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools 2018 Prize for Teaching Excellence and are in the running for a share of $1 million in cash prizes.

The semifinalists – some competing as individuals and some as teacher teams – hail from 27 states and specialize in trades ranging from construction and carpentry to automotive repair, welding, advanced manufacturing and agriculture mechanics.

Through two more rounds of judging, the field of 52 semi-finalists will be narrowed to 18 first- and second-place winners, who will split $1 million in total cash awards. The three first-place 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 second-place 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. Semi-finalists whose school, district or state policy prohibits receipt of the individual portion of prize earnings were eligible to apply on behalf of their school’s skilled trades program. The first- and second-place winners are expected to be announced on Nov. 15.

Black has taught advanced manufacturing and engineering for eight years at Clark Magnet High School where he attended high school. In a 2,500-square-foot high-tech manufacturing facility, Black teaches his students to work with their hands and heads to use state-of-the-art equipment. He brings in mentors from the community and has coached his students to gold medals in local and state competitions. In the past two years, Black’s students have earned more than 80 National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMs) credentials and the school has applied for NIM national accreditation, which would make it the only NIM accredited high school in the state.

For the second round application for the prize, semifinalists will respond to a series of online expert-led video learning modules designed to solicit their insights and creative ideas about their teaching practices and how to inspire their students to achieve excellence in the skilled trades.

Each round of winners is selected by separate panels of judges independent of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools.

This is the second year of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, which was started by Harbor Freight Tools Founder Eric Smidt to recognize outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in American public high schools.