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ABOUT

About

In August of 2021, the STOP Award to Transform Education was established to honor and advance the work of education providers who delivered a best-in-class experience during the Covid pandemic. It is now called the Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education and celebrates the nation’s best education providers.

The launch of the award uncovered hundreds of inspirational and innovative nonprofits, entrepreneurs, community organizations and schools who were committed to providing a transformational education to under-resourced communities. In 2021, twenty of these education change makers were selected as semi-finalists and participated in a robust evaluation and pitch process. In 2022, sixty-four were given the opportunity to compete for the $1 million Yass Prize.

In December, 2021, we rewarded our inaugural class of semifinalists, finalists, and one Grand Prize winner. In December, 2022, the Yass Prize and STOP Awards Initiative will recognize 64 education providers with over $11 million. Alumni are also eligible for additional STOP Awards in the year following their recognition.

Why
for education?

Why for education?

The Yass Prize is defined by 4 core principles that have the power to drive educational change for every child.

S

The work must be Sustainable over time, meaning it can be funded independently without continual philanthropy by utilizing public programs that fund the entity where students are learning, regardless of sector.

T

The effort must be Transformational with innovative new approaches that employ 21st century knowledge and technologies, changing the way students are educated and rich in content that is relevant and impactful across all communities.

O

Programs must be Outstanding, or demonstrably successful by every measure that matters. We know what success looks like from the demand of parents for better options for their children.

P

The work requires no permission — Permissionless — and is free to exist and thrive without dependence on regulatory bodies whose rules are often at odds with parent demands and student needs. 

Our Story

In August 2021, the $1 million STOP Award to Transform Education was created to honor and advance the work of education providers that continued to perform for underserved families during Covid, and ensure they not only could continue but expand to serve more students and be a beacon for thousands more educators and innovators dedicated to education opportunity for all young people.

In just four short months, hundreds of inspirational education providers were uncovered. These outliers were doing everything from starting new schools in museums and churches to developing new models for learning with artificial intelligence. Twenty of the best providers were identified, and a robust evaluation and pitch process was held. In December 2021, in addition to the Grand Prize winner Discovery Center of Springfield, MO, the four finalists received contributions of $250,000 and the remaining semifinalists were surprised with $100,000 grants for their extraordinary work. They were and are the impetus for this new STOP Foundation 4 Education, which is owing to a couple whose inspiration, generosity and vision is unparalleled.

Meet Janine & Jeff

For more than 25 years, the Yass’ have dedicated their time, their intellect and their resources to creating excellent schools for parents to have meaningful choices. But when the Covid crisis revealed and magnified the vast inequities that surround a majority of our students, they pivoted to a more impactful way to spend their resources to speed up the pace of improving student lives. “We have recognized the incredible heroism of healthcare and front line workers who went above and beyond during COVID,” Janine said to Jeff during the crisis, “but look at all the heroes in education who served the underserved with in-person or quality virtual education students despite the challenges. We should recognize them, too,” she said. Janine’s passion for education opportunity for all students sparked the creation of the STOP Award. They were so inspired by the effort, by the providers and educators and innovators that the inaugural competition uncovered, that she founded the STOP Foundation 4 Education, to expand the number of providers working to provide a STOP education for students. With a commitment to moving from reform to transform, Janine's hope is that the campaign to STOP 4 Education will drive a renaissance in education, based on the premise that every parent deserves the ability to provide their students with individualized, 21st century education opportunities offered in supportive environments alongside their peers.


For more than 25 years, the Yass’ have dedicated their time, their intellect and their resources to creating excellent schools for parents to have meaningful choices. But when the Covid crisis revealed and magnified the vast inequities that surround a majority of our students, they pivoted to a more impactful way to spend their resources to speed up the pace of improving student lives.

“We have recognized the incredible heroism of healthcare and front line workers who went above and beyond during COVID,” Janine said to Jeff during the crisis, “but look at all the heroes in education who served the underserved with in-person or quality virtual education students despite the challenges. We should recognize them, too,” she said.

Janine’s passion for education opportunity for all students sparked the creation of the Yass Prize and the STOP Awards Initiative. They were so inspired by the effort, by the providers and educators and innovators that the inaugural competition uncovered, that she committed to continuing the work of the Yass Foundation for Education, to expand the number of providers working to provide a STOP-enabled education for students. With a commitment to moving from reform to transform, Janine’s hope is that the campaign to STOP for Education will drive a renaissance in education, based on the premise that every parent deserves the ability to provide their students with individualized, 21st century education opportunities offered in supportive environments alongside their peers.

Our Partners

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We’re proud to be powered by the Center for Education Reform (CER) whose mission is to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved outcomes for all Americans.

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We’ve partnered with Forbes to amplify the Yass Prize efforts as well as our cohort organizations and Grand Prize Winners.

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We’re proud to be supported by the Center for Education Reform (CER). CER is a non-profit advocacy group committed to influencing education policy.

We’ve partnered with Forbes to amplify the efforts of the STOP for Education Foundation and Awards as well as our cohort organizations and Grand Prize Winners.

I hope you all think about the fact that the impact you are having, you will never even know how widespread it is.

That’s the beauty of education, you impact lives in such a deep way.

Alyssa Farah Griffin
Co-Host on The View and CNN Political Commentator,

Entrepreneurs are people who teach us about needs we don’t know we need.

This is the fundamental basis of what we are doing.

Carl Schramm
University Professor,
Syracuse University

I'm deeply humbled and grateful to be part of this group.

The last month has been a tremendous experience and I'm so inspired and motivated by the amazing work this group is doing. Collectively, we’re working towards a real-world goal and it’s leaving me empowered and motivated to apply what we learn.

Jeffrey Imrich
Co-Founder,
Rock by Rock

We are so inspired by the Yass Prize participants, semi-finalists, and the courage, innovation and leadership of educators from across the country who have amplified the application of their brilliance to make the lives of their students better as they faced the daunting challenges of the pandemic.

Mike Hoque
CEO,
Hoque Global

Unfortunately, the bureaucracy that’s behind the school system is more interested in perpetuating jobs and keeping the system in place, rather than giving children the freedom they deserve.

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

We see the Pulitzer prizes, we see the MacArthur Genius Grants, we see the Pritzker prize for architecture.

But for the one field that drives everything, education, there is no definitive prize. The Yass Prize has filled that vacuum -- it's more than just the money. It's about spurring ideas, it's about spurring innovation. We are very very proud to be a part of it.

Randall Lane
Editor,
Forbes

The fact that education has become partisan is upsetting, and I just hope that this award will encourage more states to view this as a bipartisan issue.

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

We often jump to the what, without thinking with the community about the why.

Michael B. Horn
Author,
From Reopen to Reinvent

You are in a moment in history that we have never seen before.

Any of us with a disruptive idea have a shot at trying to prove something.

Randall Lane
Chief Content Officer,
Forbes Media

It's not the university someone graduated from or the degree they hold.

Do they have the resilience and perseverance? Do they have grit? It's the most important skill.

Joy Chen
Entrepreneur In Residence,
GSV Ventures

Success happens after many pivots and changes.

Michael Moe
Founder and CEO,
Global Silicon Valley

Humbled to be considered in such great company.

We hope to create a shift in the education scene that really focuses on how to orient schools to the lived outcomes of our kids in the communities that they live in. Here's to abundance & great things for all of our kids.

Stefin Pasternak
Co-Founder,
Living School

I am still processing the magnitude of this experience and so grateful for meeting each and everyone of you.

I look forward to continuing our transformative work in our communities and together.

Taylor Shead
Board Member,
Dallas Education Foundation

We realized long ago that there’s a lot of money in the system, and it’s just not directed to the children.

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

What has been created here at the accelerator is truly incredible.

We may never know how pivotal this really is for education in America right here, right now. This group of people will work together to force real change permissionlessly.

Rob Blevins
Executive Director,
Discovery Center of Springfield

Remember, you are doing the work of civilization.

You are planting the seeds of a better world, despite any bad news, you’re doing great things.

Steve Forbes
Editor-in-Chief,
Forbes Media

Entrepreneurs are the engine of the innovation economy.

The work this remarkable group has accomplished is not only inspirational but can be transformative for millions more students.

Michael Moe
Founder and CEO,
Global Silicon Valley

The Yass Prize shines an important light on the heroes of education who fought valiantly to serve students and were often overlooked or dismissed.

It’s our commitment that their example is seen, learned about and replicated all over the nation.

Jeanne Allen
Founder and CEO,
Center for Education Reform

We may not agree on much of anything, but one thing that is a uniting force that we all agree on is that education opens doors, it’s the great equalizer.

Alyssa Farah Griffin
Co-Host on The View and CNN Political Commentator,

The real source of wealth in society is the human mind, not material things, because with the human mind, great wealth can be created.

Steve Forbes
Editor-in-Chief,
Forbes Media

If you get to the accelerator after the application process, go in knowing you already won.

The fact that you are now with a group of your peers you really get to see how world class the education profession is.

Christopher Simmonds
Principal,
CARE Elementary School

This group of innovators has the opportunity to show the world what is possible for kids, what doesn't yet exist for so many children who deserve the opportunity to be entrepreneurs and to shine as out of the box thinkers.

This group of innovators has the opportunity to show the world what is possible for kids, what doesn't yet exist for so many children who deserve the opportunity to be entrepreneurs and to shine as out of the box thinkers.

Heather Bougeois
Principal,
Louisiana Key Academy

Our Yass Prize partnership with Forbes and CER has been one of the best things we’ve done in education over the past 25 years.

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

There are so many heroes who responded to the Covid crisis in the education sector.

You were focused on kids and families. You did what you had to do and we are so grateful for that. We created this award to honor your work and we knew if we built it you would come.

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

What is good for families is good for the school because families want great schools.

Ceci Schickel
Senior Director of Organizing and Advocacy,
Mastery Charter School

When you are trying to advance and think beyond the status quo, this can be a lonely place, because our systems are structured to do the same thing.

It is important to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who foster innovation.

Phyllis Lockett
CEO,
LEAP Innovations

The chance to be part of this group is a big gust of wind in the sails of New Way Global.

Being in this group has filled me with renewed hope and determination to push forward on big dreams for great education for the least served in our community and beyond.

Allan Sherer
Director,
New Way Global

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