Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • Activity
    • Texas Award for Education Freedom
    • Power of Innovation Summit
    • Accelerator
    • Roadshows
  • Awards
  • Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Activity
    • Texas Award for Education Freedom
    • Power of Innovation Summit
    • Accelerator
    • Roadshows
  • Awards
  • Media

The 2026 $1 Million Grand Prize Winner

Meet Learning Lounge, winner of this year’s $1 million Yass Prize and the 8 S.T.O.P. Award recipients.
Learn More

FREE SCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL IN PHILLY

This Scholarship will provide $8,000 annually for 500 students displaced by the Philadelphia school closures.

Learn More

On the Road: The 2026 Yass Prize Roadshow for Opportunity

This year’s Roadshow for Opportunity Series was designed not simply as a celebration of finalists and winners, but as an investment in relationships, in shared learning, and in capitalizing on the strengths within the Yass Prize community.
EXPLORE RECAPS
READ IMPACT REPORT

Follow the Impact

From a bold idea to a nationwide movement, the Yass Prize is empowering hundreds and investing millions to reimagine education from the ground up.
Learn More

Janine and Jeff Yass Share Their Why

Message to awardees: “You are the change-makers.”
Watch Now

3 Philly Schools Awarded $600,000 from Jeff and Janine Yass

An Innovative microschool supporting young men, a historic boarding school for low-income students, and a unique program helping neurodiverse students build life skills were recognized at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia Tuesday.
READ MORE

On the Road: The 2026 Yass Prize Roadshow for Opportunity

This year’s Roadshow for Opportunity Series was designed not simply as a celebration of finalists and winners, but as an investment in relationships, in shared learning, and in capitalizing on the strengths within the Yass Prize community.

EXPLORE RECAPS
READ IMPACT REPORT

Monthly News Brief about our Nation’s Best Education Leaders

Subscribe to “Innovation in Action”, featuring Yass Prize awardees who are making a difference.

Read the Latest Volume

Latest News

Loading...
Press Releases
  • October 6, 2026

The “Pulitzer of Education Innovation” Awards More Than $6 Million to Transformational Education Leaders

Press Releases
  • October 6, 2026

The “Pulitzer of Education Innovation” Awards More Than $6 Million to Transformational Education Leaders

Press Releases
  • August 12, 2026

26 Education Innovators Named Contenders for $1 Million Yass Prize

Press Releases
  • August 12, 2026

26 Education Innovators Named Contenders for $1 Million Yass Prize

Video
  • July 30, 2026

Senator Bill Cassidy highlights Pepin Academy and Trinity School at U.S. Senate HELP Committee meeting

Video
  • July 30, 2026

Senator Bill Cassidy highlights Pepin Academy and Trinity School at U.S. Senate HELP Committee meeting

View All News & Media

The Yass Foundation for Education advances the four core STOP principles: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless education. Each year, the Foundation will reward dozens of organizations, building a growing network of innovative providers that
demonstrate these qualities in their commitment to new ideas, technologies, and approaches to learning that bring education into
the 21st century. The Foundation is powered by the Center for Education Reform (CER) in partnership with Forbes.

Learn More

It might be the first time you’re speaking where everyone is actually listening and cares about what you’re doing.

I don’t think I’ve been in a room as supportive as the Yass Prize Semifinalist room in Miami.

Brian Curcio
Founder and CEO,
Rapunzl, 2022 Yass Prize Finalist

Education is one of the most fundamental pillars for democratizing opportunities for success that we have in our society.

It’s thanks to organizations like the Yass Prize that our children are going to have a better tomorrow.

Francis X. Suarez
Mayor,
City of Miami

One of the missions of the Yass Prize and the Yass Prize movement is really surfacing best practices in innovation—

in innovators who are doing this type of transformational work, so that others can learn from it and replicate it, so that you can actually grow yourselves.

Jeff Imrich
Co-Founder,
Rock by Rock

When we follow the money, it’s ludicrous how this country is getting away with funding education.

The funding is not following children. We're trying to make better options for kids, for poor kids, middle class kids. Wealthy people have this choice, they opt out of their systems easily, why shouldn't all children have that choice?

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

There is absolutely zero downside to being a part of this network by submitting your application and what you will encounter is unlike any other grant.

It's actually mind blowing. I really see myself as an education entrepreneur, but this expanded me.

Diana Diaz-Harrison
Founder,
Arizona Autism Charter Schools

The Yass Prize has significantly impacted the trajectory of our organization.

When we originally applied, we simply provided supplemental support services to homeschooling families. Now, we are growing into an education network that provides community, coaching, and curriculum nationwide.

Brenaea Fairchild
Executive Director,
Melanin Village

We have a tremendously transformative model that could stand for a little disruption.

The Yass experience has given us “permission” to do exactly that.

Kelby Woodard
President & CEO,
Cristo Rey Network

I'm a Yass Prize finalist from last year.

And through that, we were able to open up our second campus in the city of Wichita.

Wade Moore
Founder & Dean,
Urban Preparatory Academy

The Yass Prize is centered around ensuring that this [program] provides you a stepping stone...

We don’t want you to rinse, wash, repeat. We want you to build and sustain.

Jeanne Allen
Founder & CEO, Center for Education Reform ,
Director, Yass Foundation for Education

I’m dreaming bigger, bolder, and more bodacious [because of the Yass Prize].

It has helped me raise the ceiling on what’s possible.

Keith Brooks
Founder/CEO,
National Fellowship for Black and Latino Male Educators (NFBLME)

Being a part of the [Yass] family confirmed that what I'm doing is right,

focusing on what we know is important for kids really works, and having a network of people now that also agree was super huge.

Kenisha Scaggs
Founder,
SOAR Academy

The Yass Prize process has created an awareness of the education freedom movement within churches and communities.

It's given us an opportunity to start critical discussions with our congregations, parents, community leaders and members, about the laws that govern education in Pennsylvania.

Pastor Joshua Robertson
Founder & Executive Director,
Black Pastors United for Education

Connect with us

Stay informed about our latest news and sign up for our emails below! For questions or comments, use the Contact Us box. We’ll be in touch!
Contact Us
Stay Informed
  • Home
  • About
  • Activity
    • Texas Award for Education Freedom
    • Power of Innovation Summit
    • Accelerator
    • Roadshows
  • Awards
  • Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Activity
    • Texas Award for Education Freedom
    • Power of Innovation Summit
    • Accelerator
    • Roadshows
  • Awards
  • Media
Facebook X-twitter Linkedin

© 2026, Stop for Education Foundation, all rights reserved.

Connect With Us

We'd love to hear from you! Please fill out the form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Questions?

Email us at [email protected].

Stay Informed

"*" indicates required fields

Name*