AKRON — Dreams Academy, a new private school in Akron that opened in August, has won a $100,000 award as part of the Yass Prize and STOP Awards Initiative.
The award was announced Thursday night in Washington, D.C.
Dreams Academy was one of 23 contenders for the overall $1 million Yass Prize, which went to Chesterton Schools Network, which operates 62 campuses nationally.
The Yass Prize, powered by the Center for Education Reform in partnership with Forbes, recognizes and rewards innovative educators.
In what was described as an unexpected moment during Thursday's ceremony, the Yass Prize awarded four additional $250,000 STOP Awards. And, the other semifinalists were awarded $100,000 STOP Awards. STOP stands for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education.
Thousands of schools—public, private, charter, and alternative models—applied for the $1 million prize, and judges evaluated them on several factors, including their impact on underserved communities, academic programs, and innovation and flexibility in meeting students’ needs.
Friday, I spoke with the school's principal, Monique Swain, about the school's early success and winning the award.
“I'm super excited. The kids are learning. They're growing. We have increased our numbers,” Swain said. “I want them to have a safe space. And when we say safe space, we can't just say it. We have to make it. We have to provide the tools. We have to be able to show what that means. It starts from the top."
She said the financial prize will allow the school to continue its mission.
"100 thousand dollars is no chump change. So, the amount of stuff that we now get to provide that we weren't able to provide before… the stuff that we can even look into… that we didn’t get to look into before—being able to bring more field trips. We felt seen. We felt valued," Swain said.
She said the school's founder, Brandon Scarborough, is a fearless leader.
“I told Brandon yesterday, ‘I don't know if we've even told you, but we are so proud of you,’” Swain said. “Yeah, we support you. Yeah, we're here. But I needed him to hear that we were proud of him… because you're taking the effort. You're taking the journey (and) you're taking the steps.”
In a statement, Scarborough said, “While we did not take home the million-dollar grand prize, this moment is still deeply meaningful. Being recognized on a national stage affirms our boys, our families, our staff, and our city. This $100,000 award is a blessing—an investment that tells us we are seen, supported, and strengthened for what’s ahead.”
I first told you about Dreams Academy, which serves boys in grades K-2, in July. Scarborough spent years working with youth through his nonprofit before expanding his mission to build a school where core academics are covered with an emphasis on social and emotional well-being.
Scarborough said he learned about the Yass Prize from a friend.
He advanced to the final round and recently went to Miami to make a three-minute pitch explaining why his school deserved to win and how it could expand its impact.
“The first thing I said if we were to win this prize—it would just allow us to breathe. It's been nonstop since before we opened. You know fundraising is not fun and money is always a challenge. Paperwork is a challenge,” Scarborough told me earlier this week. “But, also if we're breathing we're growing. So, this would allow us to stabilize where we are here in Akron but then also duplicate the model.”
Scarborough said even just a few months into the year, there’s been tremendous growth in young boys.
"Our parents are happy with what they're seeing out of their kids,” Scarborough said. “They're acting better at home. We have students who were on medicine when they came to us who either are not on it at all or are at least at lesser doses because we're able to speak to the mental and emotional states of some of our young men. So, we're making great strides. My goal is to duplicate the model because there are young men everywhere that need what we're doing.”
