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Thousands Vie for Top Education Prize

The Yass Prize is the Pulitzer Prize of Education Innovation

 

WASHINGTON – After three months of active engagement with thousands of prospective nominees nationwide, the 2023 Yass Prize application window has now closed, showcasing an even greater level of participation than the previous year.

Caroline Allen, Vice President of The Yass Prize, shared her initial insights into the vast pool of submissions: “An initial review of the data is both encouraging and exciting. We have applications from school leaders serving nearly 27 million students across all 50 states, representing every sector in education and every grade in the PreK-12 continuum. It truly is a testament to the strength of The Yass Prize movement and its impact.”

The Yass Prize recognizes and celebrates the nation’s top education innovators, those who are providing Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless (STOP) education opportunities for all students. In addition to the esteemed $1 million Yass Prize, the STOP Awards initiative will distribute over $12 million to honor 63 additional innovators, providers, and entrepreneurs that embody educational excellence.

In addition, The Yass Award for Education Freedom will distribute awards totaling $5 million to education providers in Arkansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma who have been nominated by their states’ governors for their ability to expand rapidly to meet the needs of parents utilizing their new education savings accounts.

Throughout the next two months, all applicants will undergo an extensive, data-driven three-tier review process involving over 1,000 judges, assessing their alignment with the STOP principles and their potential contribution to the growing Yass Prize movement.

The anticipation builds towards September 14, when 64 quarter-finalists will be announced along with The Yass Award for Education Freedom winners. The 32 semi-finalists will then be selected on October 10 at a special event and gala following the first annual Yass Prize Summit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They will then go on to compete in The Yass Prize accelerator in November.

The year’s journey will culminate at an awards ceremony on December 13 in New York City, held in partnership with Forbes Media, where the 2023 finalists and The Yass Prize winner will be announced, thus marking another milestone in the quest for educational excellence and transformation for all students.

Media Contact:
CATHLEEN HEALY
202-365-4636
[email protected]

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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.

2026 Yass Prize Finalist

My experience with the Yass Prize left me inspired, challenged, and with greater clarity about my next chapter. The experience helped me realize that what we are building at Creative Minds can have an impact far beyond our current walls.

Lisa Swinson
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Through my experience with the Yass Prize, I connected with education leaders who weren't all doing the same thing, serving the same students, or operating under the same models, but we shared an unwavering belief that children deserve better and that meaningful change requires the courage to challenge conventional thinking.

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Our organization has become stronger as a result of our involvement with the Yass Prize and more confident in our leadership role in this sector.

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The Yass Prize affirmed a truth I have always believed: Rewriting the algorithm on excellence begins when we acknowledge the individual needs of our students and is brought to life by educators, families, and allies who believe those needs deserve to be met.

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2026 Yass Prize Contender

Through my experience with the Yass Prize, I made incredible connections with people and feel like I have a community that I did not have before.

Renee Griffith
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