Innovation in Action: Volume 15
How Innovation is Transforming Education
Welcome to Innovation in Action, a bi-weekly news brief highlighting transformative voices from within the Yass Prize community of awardees. The Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education - now in its sixth year - is a rapidly growing effort to find, reward, celebrate and expand best-in-class education organizations from every sector, in every state.
This issue shines a light on three powerful partnerships that expand choice and build career readiness.
Redefining Choice From Inside Traditional Public Schools
Working in partnership with traditional public school districts in states like North Carolina, Jeff Imrich, the CEO of Rock by Rock (2021 Finalist), is reimagining what school choice can look like inside the traditional public school system. Through a growing network of K–8 project based microschools, the organization supports districts in expanding meaningful, student centered options for families within the structure of public education. These microschools operate in existing school buildings as small, learner focused environments where students engage in interdisciplinary, real world projects that build academic mastery while fostering collaboration, reflection, and strong community connections.
Serving as both an implementation engine and a learning network, Rock by Rock’s cohort model supports schools with design, launch, and refinement. By sharing practices, resources, and lessons learned across districts, the network is accelerating innovation from within and demonstrating how choice driven models can strengthen traditional public schools, respond to diverse student needs, and create scalable pathways for district wide transformation.
As one parent shared, “My son loves the microschool, and I’m seeing a different side of him. Instead of coming home and going straight to his room to play video games, he wants to talk about what he’s learning and find ways to do things in the community. School feels connected to his life now.”
A Career Center Built for High Demand Aviation and Manufacturing Jobs
Through a strategic alliance with the Golden LEAF Foundation, the Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies (NEAAAT; 2024 Semifinalist), led by CEO Dr. Andrew Harris, has established a new Career Center that serves as a cutting edge hub for workforce training in North Carolina.
What truly sets the NEAAAT Career Center apart is the depth and authenticity of its training experiences. Students in the aviation program work hands-on with an MH 65 Dolphin helicopter shell, practicing critical airframe and powerplant skills such as structural repairs, component installation, and inspections on the same platform used in United States Coast Guard missions. This real world immersion is intentionally designed to lead to high value, industry recognized credentials, including MSSC manufacturing certifications, FAA aligned aviation coursework, and professional IT and Adobe certifications, ensuring students graduate with the skills, experience, and legitimate credentials needed to succeed in high demand fields.
Dr. Harris shared, “We are excited to offer our students a place where they truly can get hands-on learning unlike anywhere else in this country.” The Career Center bridges the gap between classroom learning and real world careers by placing students in immersive, industry grade environments. Through advanced manufacturing, aviation, and fabrication training, from operating CNC machines and MIG welders to using high fidelity Jay Velocity flight simulators, students are learning by doing.
From a Small Community in Maine to the Nation’s First PreK to 12 CTE Program
Together with the Mid Coast School of Technology, the Grace Innovation Center at St. George MSU (2023 Finalist) is developing the nation’s first PreK to 12 Career and Technical Education program. This approach weaves CTE across grade levels and disciplines, expanding access to hands-on, minds-on learning that connects education to real careers and local needs.
Mike Felton, Executive Director of the Grace Innovation Center, shared, “We’ve learned that small town, rural America can lead the nation in reimagining public education. We’ve witnessed the power of community, innovation rooted in place, and hands on, minds on learning. By returning to our roots, to the history, traditions, and values of a small Maine fishing community, we found the path forward.”
Now open on the St. George MSU campus, the Grace Innovation Center is actively bringing this vision to life. Across its learning spaces, students at different grade levels are engaging in authentic technical learning experiences. First grade students are using tools to build benches that will be placed throughout the community, while middle school students are developing woodworking skills as they design and construct furniture. Together, these experiences reflect the power of a truly integrated PreK to 12 CTE model.
💐 Congrats To…
Chris Marker, CEO and Chief Learning Officer of the Freedom Institute of Collier County (2024 Semifinalist), for being recognized for their AI powered high school program, Freedom AI High, and in the running for the prestigious 2026 Edison Awards, elevating the most consequential innovations across the globe by offering community, credibility, visibility, and connections that accelerate market growth.
Elias Pappas, CEO and Executive Director of Odyssey Charter School, on his extensive interview with Cosmos Philly: A Greek American Leading with Purpose, showing how identity, family values, and faith shaped his purpose-driven leadership.
Adam Sparks, Co-Founder and CEO of Short Answer, for being named one of Cult of Pedagogy’s 6 EdTech Tools to Try in 2026, an annual release of ed tech tools worthy in the education space this year.
Edna Martinson, Co-Founder of Boddle Learning, for being recognized by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center as part of the Fall 2025 Milestone Makers cohort and for having Boddle showcased on Times Square.
STOP for Education is an initiative focused on developing and expanding the transformational impact of Yass Prize awardees and partners who are dedicated to the four core STOP principles - Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless education. This new publication, Innovation in Action, will feature the latest from best-in-class education providers.
Follow along STOP for Education on X @edreform. Learn more about STOP for Education and CER’s initiatives here.