Mike Driscoll, a Peck School of the Arts alum and teacher at Bay View High School, has been named one of five national recipients of the 2025 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.
The award includes $100,000 to support Driscoll’s continued impact on students through hands-on learning and skilled trades education.
After earning his undergraduate degree from UWM in 2006, Driscoll worked as a graphic designer for many years. When the economy shifted, he decided to pursue teaching and began leading art classes at a high school in Grafton.
When budget cuts eliminated his position, Driscoll turned to one of his mentors, Kim Cosier, professor emerita of art education, for guidance.
“I found myself homeless, and I didn’t know where to go. This was the only teaching job I had ever applied for,” Driscoll recalls. “I reached out to Kim Cosier, and she said, ‘Have you ever thought about going to grad school?’”
With Cosier’s encouragement, Driscoll returned to UWM to pursue his master’s degree in art education, an experience that reconnected him with the classroom and the community of educators who had supported his undergraduate studies.
During his graduate program, Driscoll taught courses at UWM, including labs for ART 118, Digital Arts: Culture, Theory, Practice. Working alongside Christopher Willey, former senior lecturer and current director of technology at Islands of Brilliance, Driscoll helped redesign the class curriculum, which is still partially used today.
When Driscoll got his current job at Bay View High School, he worked with the university to teach a dual enrollment version of the class, extending UWM’s influence in digital arts education.
“I think helping develop a college curriculum had a huge impact on the way I view teaching,” said Driscoll. “When I got to Bay View, I continued to teach 118 for a number of years.”
Today, Driscoll leads several programs at Bay View High, including video technology, design and engineering classes that connect students with computer-aided design modeling, production workflows and experiences with trades tools and techniques.
He continues to work with Peck School of the Arts faculty and alumni, including Cosier and Emily Berens (MFA 2013, Interdisciplinary Media), through community programs like the Milwaukee Visionaries Project, which gives middle and high school students the chance to experiment with film and animation.
Driscoll plans to expand Bay View High’s makerspace and enhance its engineering program, while also providing additional resources for educators leading creative and technical programs in the community.
From two-time Peck student to award-winning educator, Driscoll’s path reflects the power of perseverance and mentorship in shaping meaningful careers in the arts. His work continues to highlight the connection between art, technology and the trades.
“I am very grateful for Harbor Freight and the opportunities they gave me. I feel like this is shining a light on my school and the Milwaukee Public School System as a whole,” Driscoll said. “The community is noticing.”
Written by Payton Murphy
Link to original story: https://uwm.edu/news/art-education-alum-recognized-nationally-for-impact-in-skilled-trades-education/