Cherry Creek Development School car tech teacher wins $100,000 teaching prize – Guard Colorado

CENTENNIAL|Cherry Creek Innovation Campus teacher Brian Manley was among 2 Colorado teachers offered the 2020 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Reward for Teaching Excellence, a yearly prize for instructors of knowledgeable trades.

Manley, who teaches automobile innovation, was informed of the award at a surprise ceremony Wednesday morning, which included $30,000 for the teacher and $70,000 for the Innovation School.

STEM School Highlands Ranch engineering instructor Mike Shallenberger was the 2nd teacher awarded.

“Trades teachers are educating and developing the tradespeople of the future,” Harbor Freight founder Eric Smidt said in a press release. “Many of the trainees in their classes today will become– as quickly as next spring– the workers who keep our critical care infrastructure, our interaction networks, our homes and vehicles up and running. The reward is our way of stating thank you to their instructors.”

This is Manley’s 26th year as an instructor, according to the release. He previously worked as a car specialist, and is in the process of obtaining a postgraduate degree focused on leadership for education equity.

“The saying that ‘every passion discovers its destiny’ is one that I take to heart when dealing with my trainees, since they do not understand what they don’t understand yet,” he wrote in the winning application. “It’s my pleasure and duty to help students become competent, efficient and delighted individuals.”