Winning School Will Receive $2,500 in Prizes, Trip for Two to AAPEX in Las Vegas
WIX Filters and O’Reilly Auto Parts, partners with Tomorrow’s Tech as title sponsors for the “2014 School of the Year” competition, have announced the Top 20 schools selected from 150 entrants in the U.S.
“This is one of our favorite times of the year because we get to see the next generation of technical innovators do what they love,” said Mike Harvey, brand manager for WIX Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products celebrating its 75th anniversary. “These schools are fostering creativity with an eye on the future, teaching their students the skills they need to service the latest complex vehicle systems.”
The Top 20 schools are:
Region 1
· Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School – Marlborough, MA
· Lakes Region Community College – Laconia, NH
· Mercer Community College – West Windsor, NJ
· Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES – New Hartford, NY
· Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES – Syracuse, NY
· Worcester Technical High School – Worcester, MA
Region 2
· Davison High School – Davison, MI
· Elizabethtown Community and Technical College – Elizabethtown, KY
· Northland Career Center – Platte City, MO
· Northwest Iowa Community College – Sheldon, IA
· Owensboro Community and Technical College – Owensboro, KY
Region 3
· Carroll County Career and Tech – Westminster, MD
· Iredell Statesville Schools Automotive Technology Center – Troutman, NC
· Lincoln College of Technology – Columbia, MD
· Palm Beach State College – Lake Worth, FL
· Peach County High School – Fort Valley, GA
· South Johnston High School – Four Oaks, NC
Region 4
· Klein Collins High School – Spring, TX
· Ramona High School – Ramona, CA
· Rio Hondo College – Whittier, CA
“We are thrilled with the quality of entries for this year’s ‘School of the Year’ competition,” said Dean Martin, publisher of Tomorrow’s Tech, a Babcox Media publication for automotive students. “Babcox and Tomorrow’s Tech share O’Reilly Auto Parts and WIX Filters’ support to recognize automotive schools and highlight their instructors’ dedication in training up-and-coming auto repairers, collision specialists and heavy-duty service personnel.”
The Top 20 schools have been asked to submit a video highlighting their tech programs by Monday, Sept. 22. Judges will review the video entries and select four finalists, or one from each region. The winner will be selected from the four finalists and announced at AAPEX on Nov. 3.
The winning school will receive:
· Visit by Tomorrow’s Tech staff and program sponsors
· $2,500 WIX Filters donation to the school’s program
· A uniform for every student from Red Kap, a manufacturer and distributor of comfortable, durable work-related clothing and outerwear
· O’Reilly and WIX Filters gear (hats, backpacks, key chains, shop banners, T-shirts and product samples)
· Appearance by either the WIX or O’Reilly Auto Parts marketing unit
· Travel for the class instructor and a guest to Las Vegas to attend Babcox Media’s recognition dinner at AAPEX
Each nominated school will receive national recognition on the Tomorrow’s Tech website, as well as through social media outlets. Schools that are selected to the Final Four receive a professional automotive tool set and a $250 gift card from O’Reilly Auto Parts.
This is the seventh annual search to find the best technical training school in the U.S. The program is open to high schools or post-secondary schools that have a subscription to Tomorrow’s Tech.
