We are thrilled to celebrate alum Sam Garson (TAS, 2024), a science and industrial technology teacher at Friday Harbor High School in Washington State, for being named a winner of the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.

As a NOAA Teacher at Sea, Sam sailed aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow, participating in a 20-day bottom trawl fisheries survey in the Atlantic. This experience allowed him to bring real-world scientific research directly to his students, showing them that their STEM skills can lead from their small island community to the furthest reaches of the ocean.

In addition to being a national board-certified teacher, Sam has endorsements in science and math and is qualified to teach biomedical science, aquaculture, communication technologies, natural resources, STEM technologies, and business management. You could say that Sam is a jack of all trades, which is a perfect fit for a teacher in a small, rural, island school district.

In his application for the prize, Sam wrote, “Success is measured not just by outcomes, but by how students grow into capable, career-ready individuals with confidence in their skills.”

With over 1,000 applicants and only 20 winners, competition for the prize was steep but Sam’s innovative approach, which includes teaching Electric Vehicle (EV) Principles and 3D Design (among many other things) caught the attention of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. Sam was awarded $50,000 for his dedication to preparing students for the global workforce through hands-on, high-stakes problem-solving.

Learn more here.

Image credit: Katie Aiello

Apply Now: The 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize

Inspired by Sam’s story? The application window for the 2026 prize is now open! To mark its 10th anniversary, the prize pool has increased to $2 million, which will be awarded to 25 outstanding public high school skilled trades teachers across the country.

Key Deadlines:

• Round 1 Applications Due: Friday, May 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Time
• Finalists Announced: Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
• Winners Announced: Fall 2026.

For full eligibility details and to start your application, visit hftforschoolsprize.org.