Teacher Tyler Chrystal stands with a $75,000 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. He is surrounded by Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative Executive Director Mortin Alvin, Career Technical Education Center Principal Donald Jarvis, Acting Associate Commissioner of the Office of College, Career and Technical Education Nicole Smith and Office of College, Career and Technical Education District Liaison Joe Wyman.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Tyler Chrystal stepped into the gymnasium at Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative’s Career Technical Education Center in West Springfield to raucous applause and cheering from the entire school. Students yelled, “We love you, Mr. Chrystal,” as the automotive technician instructor made his way to the front of the gymnasium where an oversized check for $75,000 sat below a “congratulations” banner.
Chrystal was surprised to learn that he was one of the 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence winners. For the past 10 years, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, a program from The Smidt Foundation, has advanced skilled trades education in U.S. public high schools by rewarding program and instructor excellence. Chrystal was awarded $25,000 of the prize money, while the school’s automotive program received $50,000.
Chrystal was one of 25 public high school skilled trades teachers in the United States to win, and the first ever winner from Massachusetts. In all, 550 teachers from 49 states applied to the program. Instructors in skilled trades ranging from construction and carpentry to advanced manufacturing and industrial technology apply for the award. A total of $2 million in cash prizes were awarded nationwide, up from $1.5 million in past years.
“When we started the prize a decade ago, our goal was to recognize and celebrate the best skilled trades teachers and programs across America,” Smidt said in a press release about the awards. “Today, we have a nationwide shortage of skilled trades workers and the need for high school classes to prepare students for that work has never been higher. That’s why we’re excited to increase the prize to bring attention to these inspiring teachers and invest even more in their important work.”
Keeping the award a surprise was no easy task. “Until yesterday, only three people in the building knew about this,” said Career Technical Education Center Principal Donald Jarvis. He called Chrystal’s wife, Kellie Chrystal, who attended the ceremony with their young son, a week earlier to invite her to the ceremony. She said that her first thought upon receiving the call was that Chrystal had been hurt. The last time Jarvis called her was a year earlier, when Chrystal had gotten his index finger caught in a piece of equipment, resulting in a trip to the emergency room.
Chrystal started on his path to automotive instruction when he attended Westfield Technical Academy for high school. After graduation, he became a master technician. He explained that instructors at CTEC must reach a mandatory number of hours in the field.
Commenting on the award, Chrystal said, “It’s good for the school, it’s good for the students.” Chrystal was also a 2025-2026 finalist for the B’laster Instructor of the Year award, a national recognition of automotive instructors. He first learned about the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2025 from a graphic arts teacher at the school. He applied but was not selected. Undeterred, he applied again this year. In his application, Chrystal wrote, “In skilled trades education, building confidence is just as important as building technical skill. Students often need guidance in learning how to think through a problem, not just how to perform a repair.”
The program chose to award Chrystal due to several key traits in his instructional style. Namely, he focuses curriculum and shop culture on workforce placement and guiding students directly into automotive careers and postsecondary trade pathways. He partnered with Balise Ford to give students access to the Ford Automotive Career Exploration training program, which allowed students to earn manufacturer certifications and master dealership-level diagnostics. Chrystal also emphasizes soft skills, including teamwork, communication, time management and professionalism. Students are expected to follow safety procedures, document repairs and work collaboratively to solve problems.
Jarvis said the school’s portion of the award will likely go to vehicle diagnostic equipment, but the teachers and students will ultimately decide what the funds will be used for.
CTEC’s automotive program has about 70 students enrolled in it, and another dozen students who are participating as part of their exploratory semester. Chrystal said it has seen a growing interest among students in the past few years. He attributed it to an expanding “recognition of the value of skilled trades.”
However, Jarvis had a different perspective. He said, “These kids are 14 years old, 15 years old. They love cars. But I think it’s expanded more because we’ve got great instructors. They’re young, excited, skilled. I think [the students] really respond to them.”
