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.
I first told you about Dreams Academy, which serves boys grades K-2, in July. Its founder, Brandon 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 said. “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.”
Earlier this week, he said it’s been a blessing to share Dreams Academy’s story.
