CCIC Teacher Jim Dosky Wins Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Teaching Excellence Award
Jim Dosky, construction trades instructor at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC), was Grand Prize winner of $100,000 from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools for Teaching Excellence in a surprise presentation on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Dosky was led to believe he was receiving a routine tour of the mechanical room by fellow construction teacher Mike Degitis in CCIC's new expansion — only to find family, friends, and former students waiting to reveal the news in his construction classroom.
"I saw everyone, and I feel like part of me knew they were here for this, but I was completely surprised," Dosky said. "You still can't fully process that it's happening. It's a lift to get this done and be recognized, it's pretty incredible. To see my family, friends, and former students, it was really cool."
A former high school English teacher turned master builder, Dosky spent nearly two decades teaching humanities by day and framing houses by summer. In 2019, he traded the typical classroom for CCIC's construction trades program, growing it from 60 to 150 students. Female enrollment in the program has climbed from 5% to 14.9%, outpacing industry averages, and non-traditional learners are being connected directly to high-wage career pathways. Dosky teaches carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, and construction fundamentals, and is completing his doctoral studies in Educational Equity and Learning Design at the University of Colorado Denver.
"This award is a reflection of the extraordinary teachers we have at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus," said Jennifer Perry, Cherry Creek School District's interim superintendent. "Jim is the third CCIC teacher to receive the Grand Prize for Teaching Excellence from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, tying us for the most winning teachers of any school in the country. That's not a coincidence, it's a testament to the passion and dedication our educators bring to preparing students for real careers and real futures."
Ten students are currently in yearlong internships, and roughly 70 worked construction jobs this summer. Since 2019, roughly 500 students have come through Dosky's program, about 250 of them now working in construction or related fields, 72 of them landing jobs this summer alone, the program's best year yet.
Dosky's students are also mid-build on a modular Habitat for Humanity home (their second full house) constructed to code in the school parking lot, with local contractor JHL providing 40 paid summer positions and on-site mentorship this year alone.
"Now when students ask me [why this matters], I tell them: you're going to use this at home, you're going to use it for the rest of your life," Dosky said. "No matter what, we all live in houses."
Dosky was named Colorado's 2023 SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year and CCIC's 2024 Teacher of the Year. He was one of only five in the nation to be named a Grand Prize Winner in 2026. Congratulations Jim Dosky!
The total amount awarded in 2026 increased from $1.5 million to $2 million to mark the 10th anniversary of the prize. More than 550 teachers applied from 49 states. The prize was created to recognize excellent high school skilled trades teachers, a group of educators who are frequently overlooked and underappreciated. As of today, over $12 million has been awarded to 208 teachers and their programs through the prize. The mission of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is to increase understanding, support and investment in skilled trades.