“I learned that in skilled trades, patience is a tool just like a wrench. My role isn’t just to teach how to fix an engine, but to bridge the gap between rough mechanical work and fine technical skills, making the invisible visible and vital to a student’s success.“
Allan Ballweg teaches industrial technology at Sauk Prairie High School in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. Raised working on his uncle’s farm and custom sawmill, Ballweg developed an early passion for hands-on craftsmanship, finishing his family’s basement at age 12 and working 11 summers for a local construction company building homes, sheds, and additions. Encouraged by a high school teacher to pursue education, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Technology Education from University of Wisconsin – Platteville, graduating top of his class with a 4.0 GPA while playing four years of varsity basketball. A 2023 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellow, Ballweg brings extensive real-world experience back to his classroom by spending his summers constructing houses in Alaska and completing advanced training through the Haas CNC and Briggs & Stratton Vocational Education programs.
He drives problem-solving rigor by combining daily thought-provoking questions with immersive, multi-sensory technical instruction. In his Small Engines unit, he addresses precision measurement challenges by building large-scale wooden micrometer models, guiding students to accurately verify tolerances down to thousandths of an inch with a 100% success rate on engine specification sheets. Students utilize industry tools to tear down and rebuild engines, cut custom fire rings on CNC plasma cutters, and develop both technical mastery and evaluated employability skills guided by local advisory board input.
Ballweg previously was a finalist for the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.
Notes of Excellence
- Business & Industry Alignment: Partnered with McFarlane Manufacturing to place over 25 youth apprentices, secure donated welding materials, and provide hands-on industrial equipment access for student projects.
- Key Program Impact: Ballweg’s program helps drive high engagement in career and technical education at Sauk Prairie High School, where 90% of students complete two or more CTE courses, contributing to a 93.4% school graduation rate and a 66-student youth apprenticeship program.
- Outstanding Student Projects: Facilitates student projects that are relevant to their interests, such as custom hunting bows and fishing rods, as well as complex projects, such as a custom epoxy river table paired with a decorative metal base.