Innovation in Action: Volume 24
Advancing Together: Breakthrough Partnerships for Students and Families
Welcome to Innovation in Action, a one-of-a-kind news brief highlighting transformative voices from 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, with a commitment to fueling more education entrepreneurs to expand their high-quality organizations and schools.
As summer winds down and kids head back to school, this volume captures what innovation is all about: bold leaders doing what is best for kids.
26 Yass Prize Contenders Announced
Twenty-six education innovators were named contenders for the 2026 Yass Prize during a live announcement at Forbes on Fifth in New York City on August 12, hosted by media partner Forbes, who will now go on to vie for the $1 million Yass Prize.
“When my husband Jeff and I founded the Yass Prize in 2021, our goal was to recognize the education innovators who refused to let students fall behind,” shared Yass Prize Co-Founder Janine Yass. “Five years later, this remarkable 2026 cohort shows how far that movement has grown - creating student-centered solutions for every kind of learner while expanding opportunities for families across America.”
The contenders will advance to the Yass Prize Accelerator, beginning with a two-week virtual program followed by an immersive week in Miami, culminating in a pitch competition before a distinguished panel of judges. Twelve Yass Prize alumni have also been chosen to compete in the 2026 Yass Prize Alumni Awards Program, pitching for additional funding to support their continued growth and expansion. The $1 million Yass Prize winner and Alumni Award recipients will be announced live at the Power of Innovation Summit on October 6 in Philadelphia.
To re-watch the 2026 contender announcement, visit YassPrize.org/live, and to meet the newest 2026 contenders, click here!
Sora Schools Brings More Choice to Torrance Families
A district and an online private school usually don’t build something together. But this September, Sora Schools (2023 Semifinalist) and Torrance Unified School District are doing exactly that - opening Torrance Meridian Academy in Los Angeles. It’s a public, tuition-free school built on Sora’s model: project-based curriculum, proprietary software, and teacher training, staffed by Torrance’s own teachers. The school opens with grades 5-8 and will grow to serve grades 4-12 over the next few years. Students learn in remote but live classes Monday through Thursday, and Fridays are built around in-person learning opportunities, ranging from meeting in classrooms to community spaces to an Olympic-quality aquatic center.
Founder Garrett Smiley shared why the model matters: Gallup found that 74% of parents are satisfied with their own child’s education, and Torrance Meridian is designed for the other 26% - families who are searching outside of the public system to find something different. The goal is to prove a district can creatively offer a genuinely unique option inside their own walls, so families do not have to exit the public system to find a learning model that works for their children.
“I’ve seen students who had given up on themselves change completely when placed in the right environment,” Smiley shares. “The quiet student begins leading a team. The one who stopped submitting assignments creates a portfolio that leaves you speechless. What excites me most about Torrance Meridian is that these kids can access these opportunities without leaving their public school district. This unique public-private partnership has the potential to redefine education in this country.”
A New Model for Autism Informed Care
The barriers that families who have children with Autism face don’t stop at the school door. Arizona Autism Charter Schools (2022 Winner) founder Diana Diaz-Harrison watched these barriers follow her son Sammy into the doctor’s office and decided to build a solution. Arizona Autism Family Medicine, A Valle del Sol Clinic, is a school-embedded clinic offering specialized primary care and behavioral health, designed around sensory, communication, and behavioral accommodations and coordinated with educators and families. With 1 in 31 Arizona children on the Autism spectrum, it’s both a community resource and a national demonstration site for what autism-informed healthcare can - and should - look like.
“This clinic is the realization of a vision that Diana and I have shared for many years - to create a place where individuals with Autism and their families no longer have to fight for healthcare that understands them,” shared Ron Harrison, Co-Founder and Interim CEO of Arizona Autism Charter Schools. “Thanks to the generous financial support of Mercy Care and our partnership with Valle del Sol, that vision is becoming a reality,” he added. “We hope this is just the beginning of a movement to redefine healthcare for the autism community and inspire similar models across the country.”
💐 Congrats To…
unCommon Construction (2022 Finalist) for constructing their biggest house yet and opening a management pathway for students.
Summit School (2025 Semifinalist) on acquiring a new building to serve more students on their 35 acres of land.
B.E. Academy of STEAM (2025 Semifinalist) and their founder Tee Wilson for being nominated for the Nashville Athena Award, an award celebrating Nashville-based women leaders who demonstrate a commitment to active mentorship or advancement of other women.
ClassBank (2022 Quarterfinalist) for making big gains in the 2025-2026 school year. They reached over 1 million students, closed their largest district contract to date, and saw students earn more than $11 billion ClassBank dollars.
Have You Pre-ordered Your Copy Yet?
Heroes aren’t born - they’re summoned. In The Education Avengers, CER’s own Jeanne Allen tells the true stories of twelve people - most of whom are Yass Prize alumni - who decided children are worth the fight, and what happens when ordinary people take on the Hydra of apathy, bureaucracy, and lost hope standing between kids and opportunity. Pre-order now ahead of its August 25th release!
In a short 54 days ….
On October 6th in Philadelphia, the Power of Innovation Summit will convene education entrepreneurs, policy leaders, investors, and innovators who are transforming how learning works in America, and the 2026 $1 million Yass Prize winner will be crowned.
From breakthrough school models to new technologies and bold policy ideas, the summit highlights the people building solutions for students and families. Learn more about the Summit here, and request your Summit event invitation here.