Bridgeway Academy and Therapy Center Becomes One of 25 National Semifinalists for Coveted Yass Prize

September 9, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

(Columbus, OH) — Bridgeway Academy, a nonprofit education serving children with autism and developmental disabilities, was announced as one of 25 semifinalists to receive the Yass Prize presented by the Yass Foundation for Education after several rounds of rigorous judging.

Presented by the Yass Foundation for Education, the Yass Prize advances on four core principles: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless education, collectively abbreviated as STOP. Each year, they reward dozens of organizations, building a growing network of innovative providers that demonstrate these qualities in their commitment to new ideas, technologies, and approaches to learning that bring education into the 21st century.

As semifinalists for the prize, Bridgeway Academy will receive $200,000 in funds to further their mission to inspire the potential and celebrate the ability of every child. Bridgeway Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Erin Nealy and Abby David, will travel to New York on Wednesday, Sept. 11, where they will attend a summit hosted by the Yass Foundation to meet the other semifinalists from various organizations across the nation. In October, they will deliver a pitch in Miami, Florida in the hopes of winning the $1M prize. The winner of the Yass Prize will be announced on November 7. 

“We are so excited to be semifinalists for the Yass Prize, and are grateful for this incredible opportunity. We appreciate the increasing awareness and national recognition of what we’ve built here since our founding 20 years ago,” says David.

For 20 years, Bridgeway Academy and Therapy Center has been committed to offering an education and therapeutic model that transforms the way students and clients with autism and other developmental disabilities are served. Earlier this year, Nealy and David were also recognized as winners of the SMART 50 awards presented by the SMART Business network, which also celebrates their innovative model and impact on the community.

“We have so much to be thankful for, being announced as one of the semifinalists. We work tirelessly to make sure our students and clients thrive, and are deeply honored that our efforts are being recognized at this level,” said Nealy.

About the Yass Foundation

For more than 25 years, the Yass’ have dedicated their time, their intellect and their resources to creating excellent schools for parents to have meaningful choices. But when the Covid crisis revealed and magnified the vast inequities that surround a majority of our students, they pivoted to a more impactful way to spend their resources to speed up the pace of improving student lives. Thus it was that Janine’s passion for education opportunity for all students sparked the creation of the Yass Prize and the STOP Awards Initiative. Moving from reform to transform, Janine’s vision is fueling a new renaissance in education, based on the premise that every parent deserves the ability to provide their students with individualized, 21st century education opportunities offered in supportive environments alongside their peers.