Idaho schools and education organizations have until June 1 at 10 a.m. Mountain Time to submit applications for the Yass Prize, a $1 million award described as the nation’s largest financial recognition for education innovation.
The competition seeks to identify transformational and sustainable education models across the United States. Prize funds are designed to help winning educators expand their programs and deepen their impact on students and communities.
Application Details and Selection Process
Organizations that advance to the finalist stage will participate in the Yass Prize Accelerator held in Miami. The intensive program pairs education leaders with expert advisors who help refine business strategies and prepare presentations for the grand prize competition.
Caroline Allen, founding director of the Yass Prize, encouraged hesitant applicants to submit their work. “Year after year, the organizations that have moved quickly to the top are the ones who almost didn’t apply,” Allen said in remarks about the competition. “If you’re doing extraordinary work for kids, this prize was built for you.”
The 2026 winner will be announced October 6 at the Power of Innovation Summit in Philadelphia.
Idaho Organizations Previously Recognized
Two Idaho education programs have earned recognition in past competitions. GEM Innovation Schools reached the semifinal round in 2023, while One Stone’s Lab51, identified as a student-driven microschool, advanced to the quarterfinals in 2022.
Since launching in 2021, the prize program has distributed more than $60 million to over 225 organizations operating in 45 states. The Center for Education Reform powers the initiative.
What the Award Supports
Janine Yass, who co-founded the program with her husband Jeff, emphasized the award’s purpose. “Every year, we are thrilled to find these education changemakers, and we are grateful to be able to reward their extraordinary creativity, tenacity and achievements, and to help them build for the future,” she said in a statement about the prize.
The competition accepts applications from education providers of varying sizes and models. Interested Idaho educators and administrators can access application materials at YassPrize.org.
How Idaho Schools Can Participate
Education organizations throughout Idaho—including traditional schools, charter networks, microschools, and innovative education models—are eligible to apply. The application deadline of 10 a.m. Mountain Time on June 1 gives local educators several weeks to prepare submissions highlighting their programs’ outcomes and sustainability.
The competition emphasizes demonstrated results for students and the potential for programs to scale their impact. Applicants must show how their education model differs from conventional approaches and provide evidence of measurable student achievement.