Cooley Middle School’s Visual Arts program is now a SkillsUSA “Model of Excellence,” a national honor awarded to just 24 SkillsUSA chapters across the nation.

Cooley is the only middle school in the country to receive this distinction in the 11-year history of the Chapters of Excellence program.

The annual program honors SkillsUSA chapters for exceptional integration of personal, workplace and technical skills. This top recognition by SkillsUSA, a leading workforce development organization, promotes intentional learning as outlined in the SkillsUSA framework.

In the framework, students lead activities, practicing skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving with guidance from instructors.

"Our SkillsUSA top 24 Models of Excellence schools represent the best in chapter achievement and community involvement," Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA, said in a release. "These students are America's future skilled workforce and future leaders in their local communities.

“It is a tremendous honor for these schools and their recognition validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs."

As part of this honor, two Cooley students will travel to Atlanta to represent their school at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, where they will present details of the projects they created in class.