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Semi-Finalists Announced in $1 Million Prize for Education Transformers

Twenty education innovators hailed for delivering for students during Covid-19 and offering a new vision for the future of K-12 instruction

WASHINGTON DC, Nov. 8 – The Center for Education Reform (CER) and its media partner Forbes revealed the 20 semifinalists for the $1 million STOP Award to recognize education providers who powered through the pandemic and delivered for underserved students.

The first-of-its-kind award highlights education providers that strive to offer education that is Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless.

The winner will be announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.

“Every one of the hundreds of applicants told remarkable stories of resilience in the face of Covid and an unshakable determination to deliver for students,” said Jeanne Allen, CER’s founder and CEO. “The 20 STOP Award sem-finalists were judged not only on what they did during the pandemic, but how they plan to change the trajectory of K-12 education.”

The STOP Award is administered by CER but was made possible and underwritten by educational entrepreneur Janine Yass, nationally recognized education advocate and founder of the Boys’ Latin Charter School in West Philadelphia. She is also co-founder of the Philadelphia School Partnership and a CER Director Emeritus.

“Our goal was to capture the educational creativity we saw during Covid and to apply it toward the future of American education,” Ms. Yass said. “We were blown away by the response and the ability of the applicants to serve our nation’s kids, and we will work to ensure that the lessons learned create the new normal for American education. We simply cannot revert to ‘reactive’ mode when the next crisis hits. Just like so many health care workers who never gave up during the pandemic, many educators, especially in poor areas, were unsung heroes,” she continued.

The applicant pool was diverse and included teachers, technology innovators, school leadership teams, community and grassroots organizers, college achievement prep organizations and individual entrepreneurs.

The 20 semi-finalists will next take part in a 4-week hybrid accelerator program hosted by GSVlabs Dallas. The applicants will be paired with technology leaders and investors to identify ways to take their ideas to the next level. “Entrepreneurs are the engine of the innovation economy.  The work this remarkable group has accomplished is not only inspirational but can be transformative for millions more students,” said Michael Moe, founder of Global Silicon Valley. “This is exciting for the education ecosystem and for society as well.”

Forbes Chief Content Officer & Editor Randall Lane said that while Covid presented an unprecedented challenge to the nation’s education system it also sparked “innovative thinking and new ideas that supported underserved families like never before.” Lane said that through the STOP Award Forbes “looks forward to spotlighting some of the exceptional entrepreneurs and innovators striving to provide much-needed opportunities to disadvantaged students.”

Next month, five finalists selected from the 20 semi-finalists will be feted at a Forbes gathering in New York City. The winner will be announced in Davos as part of the Forbes / MIT “30 Under 30” gathering.

“When we give the STOP Award in January, it is not the end, but the beginning,” CER’s Jeanne Allen said. “The STOP Award fund will allow us to keep shining a light on those who represent the future of education.”