Chicago Pneumatic, WIX Filters and Tomorrow’s Technician have selected the top 20 schools in the third annual School of the Year competition. Entries were received from 266 students and instructors nominating more than 160 high schools, technical schools and colleges.
     
“Each year the entries in the School of the Year competition get better and better, and this year was no exception,” said Danielle Stevens, marketing communications manager for Chicago Pneumatic, which has given more than $55,000 in tools to contest participants in the past two years. “The beauty of this competition is the chance we have to interact with hundreds of dedicated students and instructors to learn what motivates this next generation of technicians to succeed.”
      
The top 20 schools are separated into four regions across the United States.
      
Southwest
·    Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colo.
·    College of Eastern Utah, Price, Utah
·    Northwest Kansas Technical College, Goodland, Kan.
·    Magdalena High School, Magdalena, N.M.

Southeast
·    Caddo Career and Technical Center, Shreveport, La.
·    Tidewater Community College, Chesapeake, Va. 

Northwest
·    West Lane Technical Learning Center, Elmira, Ore.
·    Spokane Community College, Spokane, Wash.
·    McKay High School, Salem, Ore.
·    Lewiston High School, Lewiston, Idaho

Northeast
·    Chariho CTC, Wood River Junction, R.I.
·    Old Bridge High School, Matawan, N.J.
·    Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester, Mass.
·    Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, Northampton, Mass.
·    Carroll County Career & Technology Center, Westminster, Md.
·    Lincoln High School, Warren, Mich.
·    Grafton High School, Grafton, Wis.
·    Three District Career Technical, Linden, Mich.
·    University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio
·    Camden County Technical School, Pennsauken, N.J.
      
The top 20 schools move on to the second round of competition, which requires the programs to submit additional information about their schools and automotive programs, including teacher/student ratio, graduation percentage, community service involvement, special projects, scholarships for underprivileged students, job placement percentage, types of programs offered, number of instructors and which ASE certifications they hold, and any awards or recognitions they may have received. Additional information will be considered as well, and instructors are encouraged to be creative.
      
Participating schools have the chance to win their share of $25,000 in tool prizes, with $10,000 in Chicago Pneumatic tools going to the school crowned as the 2010 School of the Year, and $5,000 to each of three regional finalists. The prize package for the four finalists also includes $12,500 in WIX filters. The four regional finalists will have the opportunity to send select students to Charlotte, N.C., to attend the WIX Institute of Filtration Technology and a behind-the-scenes tool demonstration and tour at Joe Gibbs Racing.
      
“WIX is excited to be involved in the support of this program,” said Jeff Blocher, brand manager for WIX Filters. “The entries from students and instructors are inspiring; they give us all great hope for the future of our industry.”
      
In addition to nationwide recognition, the four regional winning schools will receive a commemorative trophy, Chicago Pneumatic tools, WIX filters, extended tool and filtration educational opportunities, branded gear, flags and shop banners. The winning institution will receive a special event at their school hosted by Chicago Pneumatic, Tomorrow’s Technician and WIX Filters, with special guest Rich Evans, car fabricator, designer, painter and owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks.
      
The final four schools will be announced in April, and the 2010 School of the Year will be featured in the May issue of Tomorrow’s Technician magazine. Competition guidelines and prize details can be found at www.ttschooloftheyear.com.
       
More than 450 schools have entered the School of the Year competition during the past three years, including 2008 winner Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Ill., and 2009 winner Ohio Technical College in Cleveland, Ohio.