Awards
Awards

Congratulations to the 2025
Yass Prize Contenders
vying for the $1 million Yass Prize
Live from Forbes on Fifth in New York City, the Yass Prize contenders were revealed in a special livestream event on October 10th. After two rounds of rigorous evaluation by more than 500 judges, the contenders for the $1 million “Pulitzer of Education Innovation” will now have the opportunity to pitch at the Miami Accelerator, making the case for why they should be the 2025 winner and how they will expand their impact and ensure that more students gain access to the education they deserve.
More than just a prize, the Yass Prize is a movement—backed by mentorship, funding, and a powerful network—that champions the freedom to learn and the courage to reimagine what education can be.
Meet the 2025 Yass Prize Contenders
2024 Yass Prize Winner:
Primer Microschools
Located in Florida and Arizona and growing rapidly, Primer Microschools ignites a love for learning in small, community-driven environments.
Meet the 2024 Yass Prize Finalists
2024 Yass Prize Semifinalists
Meet the 25 Semifinalists selected for the 2024 Yass Prize
Yass Award for
Education Freedom, 2023
Celebrating States that Expand Education Opportunity
Other State Initiatives
Responding in real time to policy opportunities as well as challenges.
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Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative, Inc. (LUMIN)
Multiple cities, WI

Madrona Folk School
Grant Pass, OR

MAP Academy
Plymouth, MA

Maryville Academy
Des Plaines, IL

Milwaukee College Prep
Milwaukee, WI

MindSprout Montessori
Spring, TX

Mission Achievement and Success Charter School
Albuquerque, NM

Modern States Education Alliance
National

Mountaineer Homeschool Hub
Morgantown, WV

National Fellowship for Black and Latino Male Educators
National

National Microschooling Center
Las Vegas, NV

New Testament Christian Academy
Milwaukee, WI

New Way Global
Greenville, SC

Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies
Elizabeth City, NC

Northern Cass School District
Hunter, ND

Notre Dame School of Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI

Oakmont Education
Akron, OH

Odyssey
Washington, DC

Odyssey Charter School
Wilmington, DE

Odyssey Leadership Academy
Oklahoma City, OK

Old Sturbridge Academy
Sturbridge, MA

One City Schools
Madison, WI

Onward Learning
Martin, SD

OnYourMark
National

Open Sky Education
National

Optima Academy Online
Naples, FL & National

Parents Challenge
Colorado Springs, CO

Path of Life Learning
Yorktown, VA

Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship
Penn Hills, PA

Pepin Academies
Tampa, FL

Philadelphia Independence Mission Schools
Philadelphia, PA

Positive Tomorrows, Inc.
Oklahoma City, OK

Prenda
National

Prichard Preparatory School
Whistler, AL

Purdue Polytechnic High Schools
Indianapolis, IN

Randolph Eastern School Corporation
Union City, IN

Rapunzl
Chicago, IL

RCMA Immokalee Community Academy
Immokalee, FL

River City Fellowship San Antonio Christian School
San Antonio, TX

Rock by Rock
National

Rural Schools Innovation Zone
Premont, TX

SailFuture
St. Petersburg, FL

Savannah Legacy Academy
Savannah, GA

School House
East Northport, NY

School of Hope
Fayetteville, NC

Short Answer
National

Siembra Leadership High School
Albuquerque, NM

SOAR Academy
Evans, GA

Sora Schools, Inc.
National

Space Florida
Merritt Island, FL

Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies
Manchester, NH

Special Care
Oklahoma City, OK

St. Francis de Sales School
Philadelphia, PA

St. George Municipal School Unit
Tenants Harbor, ME

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School
San Antonio, TX

St. Mary’s Academy
New Orleans, LA

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic School
Camp Springs, MD

Summit School
Lorena, TX

Thales Academy
National

The Discovery Center of Springfield
Springfield, MO

The High School for Recording Arts
St. Paul, MN

The Innovation School
Bismarck, ND

The Lab School of Memphis
Memphis, TN

The League of Young Inventors
Brooklyn, NY

The Melanin Village
National

The Oakland REACH
Oakland, CA

The Oaks Academy
Indianapolis, IN

Trinity School
Oklahoma City, OK

Trivium Charter School Network
Lompoc, California

Tutwiler Community Education Center
Tutwiler, MS

unCommon Construction
New Orleans, LA

Urban Preparatory Academy
Wichita, KS

UrbaNeXt
Cincinnati, OH

Valiant Cross Academy
Montgomery, AL

Verdi EcoSchool
Melbourne, FL

Vertex Partnership Academies
Bronx, NY

VictoryXR
National

Vimenti
San Juan, PR

West Virginia Academy
Morgantown, WV

Wildflower Schools
Minneapolis, MN & National

WIN Academy at BridgeValley Community and Technical College
South Charleston, WV

WonderHere
Florida & South Carolina

Workshop Middle School
Brooklyn, NY

Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Dallas, TX

Zeta Charter Schools
Bronx, NY
End of Awardees
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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.
Everyone knows that without great education, our nation suffers.
Great education is a vital link for students to become successful citizens.
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.
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.
Having the status of Yass Prize Semifinalist has opened doors that we’ve been knocking on for years,
including public recognition from our Governor and partnership conversations with other education innovators from around the country.
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.
The Yass Award is about celebrating and rewarding those who make students the priority.”
Being a part of the [Yass] family confirmed that what I'm doing is right,
going against the common core and 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 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.
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.
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.
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.