During a virtual presentation that echoed the circumstances facing most educational institutions over the past year, WIX® Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products, in conjunction with Tomorrow’s Technician, named CTEC Automotive of North Kansas City Schools the 2020 School of the Year.
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the school is the 13th recipient of the annual program, naming it the best technical training school in the country. WIX Filters and O’Reilly Auto Parts are sponsors of the national award in conjunction with Tomorrow’s Tech, a Babcox Media property dedicated to automotive students.
“We are honored to award CTEC Automotive the 2020 School of the Year award. The initiative they have shown during an unprecedented year by continuing to learn and grow their knowledge, even creating a student-driven YouTube Lab is inspiring and impressive,” said Jeff Blocher, director of sales and marketing for WIX Filters during the announcement on January 27th. “These students have made the most of our new normal, and we are proud to celebrate tomorrow’s technicians and future leaders in our industry. Mr. Stow made it clear that he will not let the world we are living in today keep him or his students from achieving excellence.”
The winning school receives:
• $10,000 WIX Filters donation to the school’s program
• WIX Filters gear
• In-person announcement/celebration visit by Tomorrow’s Tech staff and program sponsors*
• Appearance by the WIX marketing unit*
*When safety protocols allow
“I am so proud of my students, and the great support by our school district has allowed me to make positive headway in this crazy time,” said Jack Stow, CTEC Automotive instructor. “We are adapting, changing, continually modifying, pushing and trying. I tell my students to always pay attention to the details, because they are important. And today feels pretty darn good.”
The School of the Year program is open to all high schools and post-secondary schools with a subscription to Tomorrow’s Tech magazine. The past year provided confusion and hardship for many with the onslaught of COVID-19, but yet, 21 schools still submitted applications highlighting their programs. Students showed perseverance and dedication, creating and submitting most of the video presentations themselves. Judges selected four finalists from the video entries, one from each region— West, Mountain, Central and Southern.
“CTEC Automotive had an incredibly strong submission, and the initiative the students took to continue their learning despite roadblocks from a global pandemic deserves recognition,” said Jim Merle, publisher of Tomorrow’s Tech. “CTEC Automotive is an inspiring program, and we encourage all to look to the example they have set.”
“North Kansas City Schools would like to thank everyone at Wix, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Tomorrow’s Tech Magazine,” said Stow. “Being nominated for School of the Year and representing the Midwest in this contest since 2018 has opened doors and provided countless opportunities for our automotive students. Being named School of the Year for 2020 carries special meaning for us at North Kansas City Schools and reaffirms our decision to get students safely back in our schools. We’re very proud of our students and our automotive technology program. We also want to thank the other outstanding programs across the country who participate in this annual contest. We have admired their efforts for many years and being thought of as their peer is an accomplishment unto itself.”
The year’s three runners-up are:
Warriors Garage, Fallbrook Union High School – Fallbrook, CA;
Bonneville High School – Washington Terrace, UT; and
The Rebel Garage, George County High School – Lucedale, MS.
Each finalist school will receive a $500 gift card from O’Reilly Auto Parts.
For more information, visit Wix Filters or Tomorrow’s Technician.
