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.

The Yass Prize is almost like Burning Man for education reform.

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.

including public recognition from our Governor and partnership conversations with other education innovators from around the country.

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.

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?

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

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

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

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.