VACTE’s Travis Black awarded $50K

A high school teacher in Cottonwood was recently surprised with a $50,000 prize recognizing excellence in skilled trades education.

Travis Black, who teaches construction technology at Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education in Cottonwood, is one of 25 winners of the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.

“My goal is to inspire students to take pride in their work, pursue excellence, and see the trades as a pathway to a successful, fulfilling future,” he said.

A U.S. Navy veteran and licensed contractor with residen­tial and commercial construction experience, Black brings real-world expertise into the classroom. Honored as the 2024 Arizona VACTE CTE Teacher of the Year, SkillsUSA Arizona Advisor of the Year and the VFW Northern Arizona Teacher of the Year, he successfully prepares students with the technical, leadership and employability skills they need to thrive in today’s competitive workforce.

Black provides a professional-grade learning environment where students operate heavy equipment, hand tools and power tools while completing proj­ects like sheds, gazebos and tiny homes for community partners. These projects teach craftsmanship, problem-solving, collaboration and accountability while giving students meaningful real-world experience. He connects students with industry professionals for mentorship and job-shadowing opportunities, bridging the gap between education and the workforce. His students can earn industry-recog­nized credentials and up to 16 college credits through a partnership with Yavapai College, providing a seamless pathway to college and career success. Local intern­ships, job-shadowing opportunities and SkillsUSA competitions connect students directly to employers, apprenticeships and postsecondary programs.

Black helps students build confidence, technical mastery and professional skills. He has helped students who struggled academically find their passion, earn multiple certifications and secure full-time employment immediately after gradua­tion. Forward-thinking in technology, he integrates AI tools for design, planning and safety simulations, preparing students to thrive in modern construction workplaces.

Since 2017, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools has awarded over $10 million to more than 180 teachers and their programs. This year there were more than 1,000 applications for the prize. The application process included three rounds of judging, each by an independent panel of experts from education, industry, nonprofits and philanthropy. In 2025, there are winners from 18 states.

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is a program of The Smidt Foundation, estab­lished by Harbor Freight Tools owner and founder Eric Smidt, to advance excellent skilled trades education in U.S. public high schools. With a respect for the dignity of these fields and for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools aims to drive a greater understanding of and investment in skilled trades educa­tion, believing that access to quality skilled trades education gives high school students pathways to graduation, opportu­nity and good jobs. Visit HFTforschools.org for more information.