Everyone knows that without great education, our nation suffers. Great education is a vital link for students to become successful citizens. “We know a good education is the key to a happy life,” says Janine Yass. That’s why this June, 2023, after new states boldly adopted new student-centered education policies, the Yass Prize launched a new initiative – The Yass Award for Education Freedom, and with it $5 million to be spread over the inaugural three states selected for their tenacity and universality in moving all families toward education freedom.

Subsequently Governors of Arkansas, Iowa and Oklahoma were invited to nominate up to ten outstanding education providers who have the capacity to ramp up quickly to serve more students. Their video messages say it best – students should be able to be educated in a way that best meets their needs, and programs like the ESAs and Tax Credit programs being enacted can ensure great education is sustainable for all students, and not just those with the means to leave their zoned public schools.

We salute Governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma for their tenacity in achieving bold changes in law, and congratulate the following 21 organizations which have been awarded a substantial amount of philanthropic seed funding to serve more students in the coming year. Together, among these schools alone, more than 5,000 more students will have the education they deserve, a number sure to exponentially grow in the coming years.