Where Students Are Seen, Heard, Valued and Challenged
Feb 2, 2024
| Yass Prize staff
In the capital city of Pennsylvania, Black pastors from across the state gathered to see and hear how to replicate an innovative model of learning. Behind all great learning environments is a superb leader – and the leader of this unique learning center happens to also be the Pastor of the Rock Church. His story – which is detailed here – explains why he took a church basement and meeting rooms and turned it into the successful Rock City Learning Center, which in his words was created to provide something vastly different for the students in his community, with entirely different and positive outcomes. The power of this model is the idea that churches empty for most of the week and valued in the community, can be a hub of learning that uplifts the community and makes it better for everyone.
“How many churches sit empty Monday through Friday?” he asked the group. “This model does not work if the Pastor does not have an entrepreneurship mindset. The Pastor has to think like an entrepreneur to do this.“
— Pat Brantley, CEO, Friendship Public Charter Schools
From York to Philadelphia – and even from Alabama – black pastors left inspired with a deeper vision for how they can adopt this model in their own churches and communities. One Philadelphia Black pastor said, “I am thankful to have been introduced to this model because it is evident that this model works. It is a village and a community and that is what it takes to build a generation of learners.” With the funding and support of the Yass Prize, Black Pastors United for Education is poised to expand to create enough learning centers to rescue 400 additional students from failing schools through the state of Pennsylvania in the next year, and then beyond Pennsylvania in the years ahead. “The scale is unlimited, and the need is great,” according to Pastor Josh.
The joy and excitement as we toured drove the conversation among local leaders, lawmakers, Yass Prize alum and Janine and Jeff Yass themselves.
“I have been saying this for 30 years. This is how kids want to learn, on their own time. As long as they have the support, it is how kids want to learn. It is helping education catch up with all the technology that is out there,” said Janine. “We could not be more proud of what they have developed.”
“The kids… They feel successful and they get rewarded. Nothing is given. Everything is earned.” – Pastor Josh
The Yass Prize team continues its Roadshow for Opportunity for the 2023 finalists, starting with the Mountain State to visit West Virginia Academy and then onto Odyssey Charter School next week.
Do you make a significant impact in education? Are you inspired to join a cohort of education innovators like our 2023 Yass Prize Winner, Valiant Cross Academy? Submit your application for the 2024 Yass Prize and showcase your innovative contributions in the nation’s premiere education competition. Apply for the Yass Prize, the Pulitzer of Education today!
