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Announcements

Trade-related Awardees of the Yass Prize

  • October 30, 2024

Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School

Alabama

Ruben Morris, CEO

AAAHS prepares their diverse student body for leadership positions in the aerospace and aviation industries through a rigorous, authentic, industry-aligned aerospace and defense education. They strive to create clearly defined pathways to enter aviation and aerospace careers and also to become a widely respected source of leaders for the industry.

Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools

Arkansas

LaShawnDa Noel, Executive Director & Superintendent

This K-12 charter with a specialized agricultural science curriculum and a unique AgriSTEM Pathway Program for older students is on a mission to expand student mindsets on what it means to have a career in agriculture.

Brooklyn STEAM Center (CTE Pathways)

New York

Kayon Pryce, Founding Principal & Head of School

The Brooklyn STEAM Center provides a tangible pathway to economic mobility and wealth creation for young New Yorkers from a diverse range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, by preparing them, through project-based learning in a real-world environment, with the technical, professional, career and financial skills to create their own futures.

Build UP

Alabama

Mark Martin, CEO

Students earn real financial capital through bi-weekly educational stipends as they progress through the program and after learning and engaging in home-building, they are set up to earn middle class wages and become homeowners.

Chickasaw City Schools

Alabama

Jodie McPherson, Superintendent

Chickasaw ensures that trades that are in high demand, and also serve society, are the most popular courses of education for students, including refurbishing shipping containers to become solar powered computer labs and using 3D printing to create prosthetics, particularly for those in developing countries.

Cristo Rey Network

Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, District of Columbia, Colorado, Nevada, California, Arizona, Oregon

Kelby Woodard, CEO

The Cristo Rey Network of high schools delivers a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources, uniquely integrating rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college. They partner with educators, businesses and communities to enable students to fulfill their aspirations for a lifetime of success.

Father Judge High School

Pennsylvania

Brian Patrick King, President

Brian Patrick King returned to his alma mater to build a well-respected program that instructs its students in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining, HVAC, and Construction Sciences, helping them gain the knowledge and training around workplace competencies that allow them to hit the ground running at their dream job. Local businesses are lining up to support the innovative school and recruit its graduates, which also plans to add Welding and Automotive pathways.

Goodwill Excel Center Midsouth

Tennessee

Chuck Molinski, Vice President

For nearly a decade, The Excel Center has helped change the lives of more than 1,400 graduates. Adults living in Shelby County can increase their earning potential with a free high school diploma and industry-recognized certifications. Support services for students include free childcare, certified life coaches, accelerated courses, and transportation assistance.

Liguori Academy

Pennsylvania

Michael Marrone, Founder & CEO

This independent school, while providing exceptional education to students who most need it in Philly, also addresses employer demands by providing their students with the training they need to obtain important apprenticeship opportunities in building trades. In collaboration with the local chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Liguori Academy’s students also benefit from rental income as ABC conducts classes within their facilities.

Oakmont Education

Ohio, Iowa

Cris Gulacy-Worrel, Vice President

The mission of Oakmont Education is to find and support students who have dropped out to recover their education with individualized hands-on learning, and skills-based job training. Oakmont provides options in skilled trades such as construction and manufacturing, community wellness like in health care and special education, and business and entrepreneurship like in information technology, retail, and hospitality.

Randolph Eastern School Corporation

Indiana

Neal Adams, Superintendent

Randolph Eastern School Corporation (RESC) has a strong foundation of project-based learning opportunities, dual enrollment, CTE partnerships, and collaborative efforts with industry, city government, and the community. Through a joint effort with Union City, RESC has established Vision Corner, an innovative new approach to learning that combines college and career readiness activities to give students another unique way to learn and grow.

Rural Schools Innovation Zone

Texas

Michael Gonzalez, Executive Director

With specialized career academies that align with local workforce needs, RSIZ equips students with real-world experiences, including internships and apprenticeships that lead to significant academic and professional achievement.

SailFuture

Florida

Mike Long, CEO

This tuition-free entrepreneurship high school leverages project-based learning and paid apprenticeships to prepare students for successful careers by focusing on the maritime business in addition to culinary and construction experiences. Their full project-based curriculum allows students to drive their own education solving real-world problems.

St. George MSU

Maine

Mike Felton, Superintendent

St. George works to provide students with both 21st century rigor in the classroom and a career-orientation, along with using the successful Expeditionary Learning practices to embrace experiential learning that levels the playing field for all students.

unCommon Construction

Louisiana, Minnesota

Aaron Frumin, CEO

Offering high school credit in an innovative apprenticeship program, unCommon Construction (uCC) students earn hourly pay and school credit for completing a construction project. Apprentices learn career awareness by being exposed to industry partners, develop professional skills through an “uncommon” work-based learning experience in a real-world classroom. They are awarded an equity scholarship paid for by the revenue from each project.

Walsh Academy at Maryville

Illinois

Ann Craig, Director of Educational Services

Walsh Academy provides specialized academic, therapeutic and Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities for adolescents experiencing intellectual, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges that can potentially limit their life success. Students are served in uniquely designed classrooms to maximize effectiveness across the continuum of age and disability type.

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  • November 12, 2024

Education Innovators to Nation’s New Leaders: Give Us the Power to Fix Education

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  • November 12, 2024

Education Innovators to Nation’s New Leaders: Give Us the Power to Fix Education

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.

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

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

In a state where alternative education is often overlooked, the Yass community helps us shine.

The Yass Prize has empowered our youth, families and community by bringing great visibility to our efforts.

Dr. LeDonna Griffin
Founder & Executive Director,
Leaders to Legends

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

Sal Khan
Founder,
Khan Academy

Education is one of the most fundamental pillars for democratizing opportunities for success that we have in our society.

It’s thanks to organizations like the Yass Prize that our children are going to have a better tomorrow.

Francis X. Suarez
Mayor,
City of Miami

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

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

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

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.

Brenaea Fairchild
Executive Director,
Melanin Village

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.

Brian Curcio
Founder and CEO,
Rapunzl, 2022 Yass Prize Finalist

The Yass Prize process has created an awareness of the education freedom movement within churches and communities.

It's given us an opportunity to start critical discussions with our congregations, parents, community leaders and members, about the laws that govern education in Pennsylvania.

Pastor Joshua Robertson
Founder & Executive Director,
Black Pastors United for Education

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.

Matthew Chaussee
Founder & CEO,
CareerViewXR & BeMoreColorful

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.

Cris Gulacy-Worrel
Vice President,
Oakmont Education, 2022 Yass Prize Finalist

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

Kevin Stitt
Governor,
Oklahoma

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 foundation of any society is a good education.

Jeff Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

We used the Yass Prize to launch a program called Skypod catalyst, which is essentially an accelerator to help other people start microschools.

We believe very much that microschools should be bottoms up, they come from the community. They're founded by educators who know their community really well. And they want to design a learning environment for the kids in that community.

Amar Kumar
Founder and CEO,
KaiPod Learning, 2022 Yass Prize Seminfinalist

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

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

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.

Kenisha Scaggs
Founder,
SOAR Academy

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

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.

Brian Patrick King
President,
Father Judge High School, 2022 Yass Prize Semifinalist

Because of the Yass Prize, we were able to add an additional pre-K classroom.

Portia Green
Principal,
Prichard Prep, 2022 Yass Prize Semifinalist

I’m dreaming bigger, bolder, and more bodacious [because of the Yass Prize].

It has helped me raise the ceiling on what’s possible.

Keith Brooks
Founder/CEO,
National Fellowship for Black and Latino Male Educators (NFBLME)

When we follow the money, it’s ludicrous how this country is getting away with funding education.

The funding is not following children. We're trying to make better options for kids, for poor kids, middle class kids. Wealthy people have this choice, they opt out of their systems easily, why shouldn't all children have that choice?

Janine Yass
Founder,
The Yass Prize

We have a tremendously transformative model that could stand for a little disruption.

The Yass experience has given us “permission” to do exactly that.

Kelby Woodard
President & CEO,
Cristo Rey Network

The Yass Prize is centered around ensuring that this [program] provides you a stepping stone...

We don’t want you to rinse, wash, repeat. We want you to build and sustain.

Jeanne Allen
Founder & CEO, Center for Education Reform ,
Director, Yass Foundation for Education

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