NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2022— Soar Academy in Evans, Georgia, a non-traditional micro-school for students with
ADHD, dyslexia, autism, auditory processing disorder, and students facing remediation due to academic gaps has
won national recognition as one of America’s most innovative and effective education providers in the annual
competition for the $1 million Yass Prize, education’s largest and most prestigious award.
The school and tutoring center was honored for guiding underserved “atypical or differently abled” students
toward success with one-on-one project-based learning, both in-person and online.
One of nine finalists for the top award, Soar Academy received one of the competition’s $500,000 STOP Awards,
recognizing highly successful education programs that are sustainable, transformational, outstanding, and
“permissionless” (meaning government approval isn’t needed for the program to carry out its mission). The award
was presented at a banquet at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan earlier tonight.
“We were thrilled to find these education changemakers and are grateful to be able to reward their extraordinary
creativity, tenacity, and achievements, and to help them build for the future. We should be giving every educator in
the nation the freedom the Yass Prize winners have to tailor education to the needs of children and give every
parent the opportunity to choose specialized learning environments like these,” said Janine Yass, Founder of her
husband Jeff, of the Yass Prize.
“After 25 years and countless dollars in charitable giving, this is by far the most impactful thing we have ever done
with our resources,” added Mrs. Yass.

Formally called the Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless Education,
the annual prize exists to recognize and reward outstanding education providers and to amplify their work through
financial support, collaboration, coaching, encouragement, and an extensive mentorship network.
The Center for Education Reform (CER), Washington, DC, administers the prize and houses the Yass Foundation
for Education.
Jeanne Allen, director of the Yass Foundation and founder and CEO of CER, said the awards program is helping to
build a “critical mass of innovation and success” beyond the confines of America’s troubled public school systems
and capturing the attention and interest of thousands of educators and parents who want to be freed from
bureaucracy to serve students in unique and innovative ways.
“Through Janine and Jeff’s extraordinary generosity, we can not only reward the best-in-class providers who deliver
outstanding education when it is most needed but provide a benchmark for all to emulate,” said Allen. “We are
proud to celebrate the type of innovative work that will chart the future for sustainable and transformational
opportunities for students—in permissionless settings.”

Read More about The YASS Prize here: https://yassprize.org/applicants/soar-academy/