By: Devynn Brown
On October 24, 2019 Redwood teacher Mr. Cox is presented a $50,000 check from Harbor Freight, a tool and equipment retailer. The people present to witness Cox’s check prize were people from the city council, school board, superintendent, school principal, and Cox’s entire family.
Harbor Freight started a program called Tools for Schools: The Prize for teaching, two years ago. The program gives teachers videos to watch and articles to read and use them as prompts for basically a term paper that the teacher applying would have to write.
Cox applied for the program two years ago, but didn’t hear another word about it. When Cox heard the application process started again this year, he reapplied. He didn’t use any of the writings he used last year. Instead, Cox wrote a lot about his everyday life with his students and how to create an environment for them to be leaders.
Three months ago, Cox found out that out of 750 nation wide applications, his made it to the top 50. The next round called for more reading, videos, and lots more writing. On October 24, Cox was presented with a $50,000 check for being one of the second prize winners. Cox was one of the 18 people nation wide who won a prize.
Cox felt that the experience, “Was a lot of work, but pretty exciting because it wasn’t just pulling a name out of a hat, or winning the lottery draw. I worked for it so that felt pretty good. “
One of the gentleman from Harbor Freight explained to Cox that his application stood out by the way he interacts with his students. He has shop leaders and shop managers help run the class.
Principal Shin said that he is, “Proud of Cox and his accomplishments. The prize was long over due and very well deserved.”
Cox plans to spend the money on an electrical kit car and was looking at a company called Switch Vehicles Incorporated. However, that isn’t the only company hes interested in. Cox intends to use the money to get one of the electric car kits, because they are produced in a way that one of his students could do the entire assembly process, all the wiring, plumbing for the breaks etc. Cox believes that, “My kids could build a car. And when were done we’d have a street legal electric vehicle.”
All of Cox’s dedication and hard work payed off and he has plans to build a street legal electrical car with his students.