Eden Prairie High School hailed a beloved teacher as the winner of a national contest this Tuesday.
Sheila Stalberger, who teaches Intro to Woodcrafting, Intermediate Wood Custom Design, and Advanced Wood Crafting in the Industrial Technology Program at Eden Prairie High School, won the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools contest that recognizes exceptional teachers in the field of industrial technology.
In this year’s Harbor Freight Tools for Schools contest, over 1,000 applicants nationwide competed for their portion of $1.5 million in prize money. Stalberger joined this year’s cohort of 25 winners, who each received $50,000.
She is the second of only two prizewinners from Minnesota, and the only Minnesota winner this year.
Kare11 reported on her plans to use the money:
The $50,000 cash prize will be split into two pots of money. The school will receive $35,000 for new tools and equipment, while Stalberger will receive $15,000 as a thank you for her 28 years of service in the classroom.
Stalberger is hoping the $35,000 is spent on either a new laser engraver or a CNC router that students can use to cut cabinet doors and to design entire cabinets.
She says the remaining $15,000 will likely be spent on her new camper that she recently purchased for traveling the country during summer vacation.
Minnesota’s trade industries have noted for years that they have had significant difficulty filling positions. Some industry groups, like the Mid-Minnesota Builder’s Association, now even offer scholarships in an attempt to help students choose the field.
That’s a supply problem that begins in high school education. Administrative priorities shifted from the 1990s to the 2010s away from shop class (now labeled industrial technologies), leading to a gaping hole in the cohort of potential applicants. Even though industrial technology courses are slowly seeing a revival, many teachers are aging out, leading to a dearth of quality instructors.
Sheila Stalberger is the exception. Under her leadership, Eden Prairie High school saw an increase in industrial technology course enrollment, an increase of graduating students who entered the trades, and an increase of enrollment of female students. Her demonstrated excellence enabled her to achieve the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools prize.
High school programs like Stalberger’s can not only enable students to be strong caretakers of their own future homes, but even direct them into a steady, well-paid career in the trades. Educators and administrators around the state should stand ready to replicate this excellence.