Cegielski receives national honor

by Beth Kraft

The spotlight continues to shine on Eleva-Strum Central High School technology education teacher Craig Cegielski.

Since receiving the 2014 Wisconsin Rural Teacher of the Year award during the annual Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance Conference last fall, Cegielski was placed in the running for the award at the national level. 

In recognition of his student-run business model, Cardinal Manufacturing, and its representation of the high level of education offered in rural schools, Cegielski was recently named the 2015-16 Monsanto Fund Rural Teacher of the Year, as announced Aug. 3 by the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance.

The other six finalists for the award hail from all across the nation, from Arizona to Montana to Indiana.

Cegielski will officially receive his award at the 107th National Rural Education Convention and Research Seminar, held in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 17. He will also receive a $2,000 award, and Eleva-Strum High School will receive $1,000.

“Craig Cegielski has developed an outstanding program that showcases the quality of education Wisconsin rural schools receive,” commented WRSA executive director Kim Kaukl. “His recognition helps shine light on all of our rural educators.” 

Over the past decade, Cegielski and his students have worked hard to build up Cardinal Manufacturing into a model for teaching sought-after tech ed and employability skills. The program has captured the attention of school districts and manufacturing partners from all across the state and nation, and tours of the workshop are quite common.

“We really believe in our model of education and are happy to share everything we have learned and help others start similar programs,” commented Cegielski.

The Hurley School District is the closest exact replication of Cardinal Manufacturing, Cegielski says, but requests to see and learn how the program operates have continued to pour in from all over the country in recent years. 

To streamline the teaching process, Cardinal Manufacturing recently obtained a state grant to hire a professional to help draft a 50-page “how-to” document containing information about replicating the program. The “Cardinal Way Binder” is available on the CM website for anyone to download for reference.

“We have also started holding one-day workshops at the high school on how to replicate [Cardinal Manufacturing],” Cegielski said. “We plan to have another one this winter.”

While the CM program focuses on teaching students technical skills like welding, machining, woodworking, automotive and CAD, Cegielski says he’s learned that developing each E-S student overall is equally important to helping them succeed in the future. 

“The most important part is to focus on developing the students’ soft skills and employability skills,” Cegielski said. “They are all going to be future employees and once they have good employability skills and soft skills, the technical skills follow.”

Former student Colin Nyseth agrees with Cegielski’s focus.

“If you take any of Mr. Cegielski’s classes you are going to learn a lot about soft skills because he believes if you have them you can be taught anything,” commented Nyseth in a WRSA press release. 

Former E-S Superintendent Craig Semingson called Cegielski “the gold standard for tech ed teachers and the best in class.”

As the CM program is ever-evolving, Cegielski and his students have had a busy summer. 

The group has been taking factory training in Minneapolis, and the CM workshop recently received equipment updates. Two new Haas CNC milling machines and a manual milling machine have arrived. Former CM students are helping to train current E-S program participants in on the new machines, Cegielski said.

Reps from Titan American Built were also slated return to the E-S shop at the end of this month to produce another TV episode about CM.

“Cardinal Manufacturing is a massive partnership and thanks to the help of so many we continue to improve and expand,” Cegielski noted.

For more information about Cardinal Manufacturing and to view past Titan American Built videos and pictures, please visit www.cardinalmanufacturing.org.