The Humboldt County Office of Education awarded 25 trophies for outstanding projects in woodworking, drafting, metals, and industrial prototypes to high school students in the second annual Industrial Technology Showcase of Excellence held May 21 at the Humboldt County Office of Education’s Sequoia Conference Center.

Industry experts, who judged approximately 110 projects created by students from seven schools, selected the winners. Earlier in the evening, teachers provided a summary of each of their programs.

Participating schools and teachers included:

• Arcata High – Lex Rohn, Jason Sidell
• Eureka High – Kyle Shamp, Dave Stevens
• Ferndale High – Justin Nunes
• Fortuna High – Brett Roslosnik
• McKinleyville High –Sean Curry, Todd Curry
• Six Rivers Charter High – Lex Rohn, Jason Sidell
• South Fork High – Kenny Ingalls

Top honors, the Gary Roberts Best of Show trophy, went to Raymond Sanchez and Carlos Bonilla, seniors at Fortuna High and students of Brett Roslosnik, for their trestle table. Gary Roberts was a 26-year member of the Humboldt County Board of Education and an advocate for career tech education prior to his death in 2005.

The Best of Show project was deemed by the eight judges to be the “overall finest”, selected for it outstanding functionality, sophistication, innovation, and exceptional craftsmanship.  Please see attached document for a complete list of category and division winners.         

The Showcase is a competitive program beginning at the schools to encourage students to become proficient in the specialized areas of Industrial Arts. First round judging occurred in early May, where 110 School Champions were selected and moved on to second round judging by industry professionals to determine trophy winners.

Students presented their projects to judges through an interview process, and criteria for selecting winners included originality, quality, methods, and difficulty.  All second round participants were invited to display their projects at the Showcase event.

The Industrial Technology Showcase is a partnership between the Humboldt County Office of Education, county industrial technology teachers, industry experts who served as judges and local businesses that provided funding for scholarships and personnel in support of the event, including major sponsor Green Diamond Resource Company.

Other supporters include:

• Almquist Lumber
• College of the Redwoods
• Matson & Vallerga Architects., Inc.
• O & M Industries
• Pacific Clears
• Pierson Building Center

Career Technical Education (CTE) programs offer both academic and career-oriented training. These programs prepare youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers. CTE programs can be found in many of our local high schools.