At the October Alaska CTE Conference, "Chief" Ivan Blunka Teacher (CIBS) Joshua Gates was recognized as the New CTE Teacher of the Year for the 2017-2018 school year. Josh is in his fourth year teaching at CIBS and is a sponsor of the school's fabrication lab.

As CIBS Princpal Robin Jones said in her nomination letter, "The instruction that he delivers is highly engaging, culturally relevant, and infused with technology. Mr. Gates goes above and beyond the assigned curriculum to design projects and field experiences that allow students to be active in their community and to take pride in their accomplishments and culture. Whether it is furniture making, welding, or using the screen printer to personalize spirit gear, Mr. Gates' students always produce quality work and represent excellence in the career and technical classroom. Mr. Gates also invests the time needed to build quality relationships with the students and community, which has limiteless positive impacts."

State and Federal Programs Director Jon Clouse added in his nomination letter that, "Josh engages the elders, community members, and staff to be a part of the instructional team, build a vision for programs, and create a safe, welcoming, and culturally sensitive instructional space. He has been integral in establishing relationships with external organizations to support CTE programs at the school. Last year, Josh established the New Stuyahok Fabricators after school club, which focuses on the entrepreneurship, development of design skills, and the incorporation of “fab lab” processes to provide products to the community, Southwest Region School District, and even other school districts within the region"