Press Releases

Cornerstone Christian Academy in Statesville and Creative Minds Microschool in Wendell have been selected as 2026 Yass Prize Contenders, placing them among just 26 education innovators nationwide competing for the $1 million Yass Prize.

For the past 31 years, Cornerstone Christian Academy has supported thousands of students who have struggled in traditional classrooms in discovering their potential through highly individualized instruction and arming them with new career pathways, including a nursing certification program launching this fall. By refusing to let disabilities define a child’s future and expanding opportunities for all, Cornerstone is equipping students for success in both college and the workforce.

Based in rural Wendell, Creative Minds Microschool is proving that the future of education depends on building both exceptional schools and exceptional teachers. The microschool has created a state-recognized, “build your own” teacher apprenticeship program that prepares future educators through hands-on classroom experience, mentorship, and coaching, creating a sustainable workforce pipeline alongside an innovative education model. The school is simultaneously transforming how students learn and how the next generation of educators enters the profession.

What Happens Next?

In September, Cornerstone Christian Academy and Creative Minds Microschool will participate in the Yass Prize Miami Accelerator. Through the accelerator, contenders will work with expert advisors, strengthen their plans for growth and sustainability, and prepare to pitch their education models before a panel of judges.

The competition will culminate in the pitch for the $1 million grand prize. The 2026 Yass Prize winner will be announced October 6 at the Power of Innovation Summit in Philadelphia.

We are proud to see two North Carolina schools recognized among the country’s leading education innovators. Their selection demonstrates the extraordinary things that can happen when educators have the freedom to create learning environments designed around the needs and potential of individual students.

Please join us in congratulating Cornerstone Christian Academy and Creative Minds Microschool! We'll certainly be cheering them on as they advance to the next stage of the competition!

Meet the 2026 Yass Prize Contenders

Mike Long, President of Parents for Educational Freedom (PEFNC) on Governor Stein's proposed budget and its impact on parents and students who rely on the Opportunity Scholarship Program:

"Governor Stein’s recommended budget is a direct attack on North Carolina families who rely on the Opportunity Scholarship Program to choose the best education for their children. His proposal would rip scholarships away from moderate-income families, including many in Tier 2. For example, a police officer and a medical receptionist raising two children could be deemed too wealthy to qualify for an Opportunity Scholarship.

For the first time, we are hearing a North Carolina governor openly propose taking educational opportunities away from parents and students who depend on them. Thousands of families have made plans, sacrifices, and life decisions based on the promise that North Carolina would stand with them. Governor Stein proposes pulling the rug out from under them.

The message his budget sends is clear: government knows better than parents, and a child’s future should depend on zip code or family income rather than their need and potential. North Carolina families deserve better. We are counting on the NC General Assembly to deliver a budget that protects educational freedom and keeps opportunity within reach for every child."

Opportunity Scholarship Surpasses 100,000 Recipients 
103,400 North Carolina students now empowered by parental school choice 

Raleigh, NC – Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC), a non-profit and parental school choice advocacy organization founded in 2005, is celebrating a major milestone: according to the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority data, the Opportunity Scholarship Program has reached 103,400 recipients. This landmark achievement reflects growing demand for parental choice in K-12 education and demonstrates the impact of giving families the power to select the school in which their child learns best. 

The Opportunity Scholarship Program awards scholarships directly to parents, giving families control over their child’s education and reshaping how education is funded in North Carolina: shifting toward funding students, not systems. With more than 103,000 students now participating, North Carolina has climbed to the #3 spot nationwide in the number of students served by a private school voucher or ESA program, trailing only Florida and Ohio. 

A grandmother in Charlotte, affectionally known as Mrs. Bobbie, who is raising her grandchildren with her husband, said, “Raising my two grandchildren is our greatest joy, but it hasn’t always been easy. Despite being smart, I worried they were falling behind and the school that could help them thrive was financially out of reach. Thanks to the Opportunity Scholarship Program, they are now flourishing at Victory Christian Center School. They earn A’s and B’s, have joined clubs and sports, and traveled to Washington, DC for a robotics competition. They are taking college courses and dreaming about their futures. I work in the school lunchroom where I see every single day how this school believes in them. None of this would have been possible without the Opportunity Scholarship, and I’m forever grateful.” 

Mike Long, President of PEFNC: 
“We’re thrilled the Opportunity Scholarship Program has surpassed 100,000 students. Every parent choosing the school where their student learns best is empowered, and every one of these 103,000 students represents a life transformed by the principle that education dollars should follow the child.” 

For additional information contact Mike Long at (919) 971-0112 or [email protected]. 

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Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC) is a statewide non-profit organization that advocates for quality educational options through parental school choice. Our mission is to engage at the grassroots level, educate North Carolinians about the options in our state, and empower families to have a voice in their children’s education. www.pefnc.org 

Raleigh, NC – Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina announces the launch of EduBuilder, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help edupreneurs overcome barriers to starting and expanding private schools in North Carolina. EduBuilder will provide resources, strategic guidance, and advocacy to empower school leaders and visionaries to create new educational opportunities. The program aims to add thousands of private school seats across the state in the coming year, ensuring more families have access to high-quality education. 

“EduBuilder represents a bold next step for advancing educational freedom in North Carolina,” said Mike Long, President of PEFNC. “As demand for school choice grows, families need more private school seats so that scholarships translate into real opportunities.  I am pleased to welcome Renee Griffith, an experienced school founder, community leader, and lifelong advocate for children and educational freedom to lead this groundbreaking effort." 

Despite our greatest optimism that Governor Stein would choose to listen to the needs of families as they make decisions about their children’s education, we regret to inform you that he has officially signed a veto of HB 87, the bill that would opt North Carolina into the national school choice program. 

In his statement, he says that he supports school choice. Yet, he used his first opportunity as Governor to strike down the opportunity for your families to access scholarships that could give you more flexibility in educating your children. His words of support are hollow. 

Qualified expenses within this national program include tuition, fees, tutoring, special needs services, curriculum materials, supplementary items and services, transportation, computer technology or equipment. 

Raleigh, NC — In a bold move for educational freedom, the NC Senate has moved HB 87 forward, which launches North Carolina into a new era of school choice by opting into the federal school choice program authorized through the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” which was signed into law on Independence Day. The bill created a federal tax credit to taxpayers who donate to a scholarship granting organization. This will help more families access an education that best fits their child’s needs. HB 87 positions North Carolina to become one of the first states to embrace this opportunity. 

Statement from Mike Long, President of PEFNC:  

“Despite the uphill battle to bring the federal school choice program to fruition, it is now the law of the land. The requirement for states to opt-in was added at the 11th hour and put a barrier in front of many states, including ours. However, we are fortunate to have a school-choice friendly legislature – and a bold and transformative leader in Senator Phil Berger – that is taking swift action to bring public policy to life for families throughout North Carolina.  

Raleigh, NC – Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC) commends the North Carolina Senate for the introduction of the state budget which protects funding for the Opportunity Scholarship Program. In a time of fiscal belt-tightening, legislative leaders are sending a clear message: parental school choice remains a top priority. 

The budget maintains funding growth for the Opportunity Scholarship Program over the biennium, ensuring continued access to the state scholarship program that has afforded access to schools of choice for tens of thousands of families across the state. This investment reflects the overwhelming demand for the program, evidenced by its 143% growth in recipients between 2023-24 and 2024-25, and with more than 40,000 parents applying for a scholarship this year alone.  

Raleigh, NC – Mike Long, President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, released the following statement in support regarding the Senate confirmation of Linda McMahon as the 13th US Secretary of Education: 

“Linda McMahon, a North Carolina native, is a proven leader and a champion of opportunity. She shares the same vision I do: ‘fund students, not systems.’ As we bear witness to our Nation’s Report Card, where K12 math and reading levels are at their lowest in years, we would be foolish to repeat the same thing over and over and expect different results. With McMahon at the helm of the Department of Education, we can rest assured that the age of one-size-fits-all solutions that prioritize compliance over creativity and bureaucracy over results is dead. 

No matter the choice — public, private, public charter, microschool, or homeschool — our hope is that every child receives the education that fits them best, with funding that follows wherever they learn.