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Introducing the Yass Prize Year in Review

February 8, 2023

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The Yass Foundation advances the four core STOP principles: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless education. Each year, the Foundation will reward dozens of organizations, building a growing network of innovative providers that
demonstrate these qualities in their commitment to new ideas, technologies, and approaches to learning that bring education into
the 21st century. The Foundation is powered by the Center for Education Reform (CER) in partnership with Forbes.

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

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

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.

Kenisha Skaggs

Founder,

SOAR Academy

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

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 pandemic didn’t stop our families, scholars and educators from learning, growing and thriving.

Patricia Brantley

CEO,

Friendship Public Charter School

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

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

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

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

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,

The Yass Prize is truly changing the landscape of education options across the nation,

and I couldn't be more grateful for what it's done for us, and helping us serve more students and families.

Diana Diaz-Harrison

Founder,

Arizona Autism Charter Schools

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

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

One of the missions of the Yass Prize and the Yass Prize movement is really surfacing best practices in innovation—

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.

Jeff Imrich

Co-Founder,

Rock by Rock

The Yass Award is about celebrating and rewarding those who make students the priority.”

Kevin Stitt

Governor,

Oklahoma

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

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

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

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

Sal Khan

Founder,

Khan Academy

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,

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

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

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

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

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