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.
Awardees
Awardees
The Most STOP-Enabled Innovators of 2022
Meet the 32 Semifinalists
This year’s semifinalists come from 23 different states and really prove that innovation is alive and well in education. Micro schools, pods and hybrid learning environments almost unheard of two years ago are now being utilized by parents and educators across the nation. Traditional public schools that operate more like a charter and charters that continue to flourish outside of traditional systems, private schools serving specialized populations that are often overlooked and leaders in the ed tech space who provide remarkable tools that can be integrated into any of the other full service models we are celebrating today. Truly a remarkable group of visionaries that are transformational exemplars for all in this tumultuous 2022!
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One of the missions of the Yass Prize and the Yass Prize movement is really surfacing best practices in innovation—
Jeff Imrich
Co-Founder,
Rock by Rock
We used the Yass Prize to launch a program called Skypod catalyst, which is essentially an accelerator to help other people start microschools.
We believe very much that microschools should be bottoms up, they come from the community. They're founded by educators who know their community really well. And they want to design a learning environment for the kids in that community.
Amar Kumar
Founder and CEO,
KaiPod Learning, 2022 Yass Prize Seminfinalist
Everyone knows that without great education, our nation suffers.
Great education is a vital link for students to become successful citizens.
Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize
The Yass Award is about celebrating and rewarding those who make students the priority.”
Kevin Stitt
Governor,
Oklahoma
Our newest endeavor – that was part of our Yass Prize initiative – we're bringing career and technical education into the school
I'm in the process of going through the construction of a 20,000 square foot $11.5 million dollar building dedicated to career and technical education for the students in the Philadelphia region.
Brian Patrick King
President,
Father Judge High School, 2022 Yass Prize Semifinalist
If you're committed to wanting to be one of the change makers of the future in education, I believe that this is a place for you.
Not only because of the capital, but because of the knowledge that comes by communing with the diverse group of people as opposed to everybody that thinks the exact same way that you might think.
Taylor Shead
Founder and CEO,
STEMuli Studios
Because of the Yass Prize, we were able to add an additional pre-K classroom.
Portia Green
Principal,
Prichard Prep, 2022 Yass Prize Semifinalist
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
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
The Yass Prize has brought together such diverse leaders
from all different demographics, all different states, all different service provider types that you can learn from.
Taylor Shead
Founder and CEO,
STEMuli Studios
Yass brought us together, creating opportunities to create an educational universe within which we can look at education differently…
we have to find academic experiences that represent neuro-divergent learners, kids who want to learn about gaming, who want to do stuff online, who dropped out of school.
Dr. Steve Perry
Head of Schools,
Capital Preparatory Schools
Believe in your mission… Ground yourself… Never give up…
Sal Khan
Founder,
Khan Academy
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