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Awardees

Awardees

Meet the 2026 Yass Prize Contenders!

Live from Forbes on Fifth in New York City, the Yass Prize contenders were revealed in a special livestream event. These contenders will now have the opportunity to pitch at the Yass Prize Miami Accelerator, making the case for why they should receive the $1 million Yass Prize.

What unites this cohort is a shared conviction that school needs to look different. Many are parent-driven – education entrepreneurs whose own children’s unique needs pushed them to build models that wouldn’t otherwise exist, opening new learning opportunities for their kids and countless others. Together, they are the “best of”: the single greatest example of the diversity of excellence and transformational innovation our country has to offer. Congratulations!

AMIkids Maritime Academy

AMIkids Maritime Academy

Panama City, FL

Cooking4Autism

Cooking4Autism

Pennsylvania & New Jersey

Cornerstone Christian Academy

Cornerstone Christian Academy

Statesville, NC

Creative Minds Microschool

Creative Minds Microschool

Wendell, NC

DePaul School of Northeast Florida

DePaul School of Northeast Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Flourish Education

Flourish Education

Tennessee

Girard College

Girard College

Philadelphia, PA

Habitat for Aviation

Habitat for Aviation

Swanton, VT

Happy Hands Education Center

Happy Hands Education Center

Broken Arrow, OK

Indiana Microschool Collaborative

Indiana Microschool Collaborative

Indiana

Jalen Rose Leadership Academy

Jalen Rose Leadership Academy

Detroit, MI

Kidvation Global

Kidvation Global

National

Learning Lounge

Learning Lounge

Pine Bluff, AR

Man Up Teacher Fellowship

Man Up Teacher Fellowship

Mempis, TN

Miracle Academy Private Christian School

Miracle Academy Private Christian School

Birmingham, AL

Moreana Boys Academy

Moreana Boys Academy

Gilbert, AZ

Orangeburg High School for Health Professions

Orangeburg High School for Health Professions

Orangeburg, SC

Pine Ridge Girls School

Pine Ridge Girls School

Porcupine, SD

Regina Caeli Academy

Regina Caeli Academy

National

Salt & Light Academy for Boys

Salt & Light Academy for Boys

Philadelphia, PA

St. Anthony Catholic School

St. Anthony Catholic School

Des Moines, IA

Star Lab

Star Lab

Sarasota, FL

TriPoint Schools

TriPoint Schools

San Antonio, TX

University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men (UPREP)

University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men (UPREP)

Rochester, NY

Valor Education

Valor Education

Texas

Wakanyeja Ki Tokeyahci Wounspe Oti (Children First Learning Center)

Wakanyeja Ki Tokeyahci Wounspe Oti (Children First Learning Center)

Mission, SD

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

The foundation of any society is a good education.

Jeff Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

Believe in your mission… Ground yourself… Never give up…

Sal Khan
Founder,
Khan Academy

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

Being a part of this experience has amplified the access we can give to our students in a way that nothing has, and the access is just critical.

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

Cris Gulacy-Worrel
Vice President,
Oakmont Education, 2022 Yass Prize Finalist

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