Franklin Regional in the running for billionaire's $1M education award

Franklin Regional School District has a chance to become the first public education system to earn a $1 million prize for educators who exemplify outstanding, transformational innovation in learning.

The district is among 23 contenders for the Yass Prize, a national award created by Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass and his wife, Janine. It honors organizations that innovate the ways students learn and succeed.

If awarded the prize, the district will accelerate plans to launch what Franklin Regional spokesperson Deana Callipare called the Regional Advanced Career Academy, a collaborative project bringing together 17 school districts and more than 43,000 students.

“The goal is to have three advanced academies: health care, business and entrepreneurship and AI and robotics technology,” Callipare said. “We’re leading the effort but it’s a collaboration between us, the other districts, our local career and technology centers and other organizations.”

School officials will lay out their vision for the academy during a Nov. 6 presentation for a panel of judges in Miami. The Yass Prize winner will be announced in early December.

Callipare said the academy will build upon the region’s current school-to-career infrastructure, already in place through many career and technology center programs. The goal is to connect academy students with regional medical companies, tech businesses and trades, many of whom cannot get job candidates in the door fast enough.

“We’d look at things like, in Latrobe for example — is there a way that students can get more involved in the flight industry, learning how to be a pilot, and is there a possibility for us to connect with the airport?” she said.

“Being named a Yass Prize contender is a tremendous honor and supports our district’s commitment to innovation and partnership,” said Franklin Regional Superintendent Gennaro Piraino. “The Regional Advanced Career Academy represents what’s possible when public schools collaborate to expand opportunity and strengthen our region’s future workforce.”

Jeannette City School District Superintendent Matthew Jones said the initiative isn’t just about one school, but about the power of regional collaboration.

“Together, we are building opportunities that reach beyond what any single district could accomplish alone,” Jones said. “If Franklin Regional earns the Yass Prize, it will open new doors for all of our students and strengthen learning across Westmoreland County communities.”

Established five years ago during the covid pandemic, the Yass Prize has awarded more than $50 million to more than 200 organizations. Yass, a financier, holds a large ownership stake in TikTok parent company ByteDance.

“A traditional public school has never won the Yass Prize,” Piraino said. “We’re proud to represent public education on a national stage.”