Freedom Wins the 2026 Yass Prize Alumni Award

NAPLES, Fla., October 2026. We did it! From a bold idea in Naples to national recognition in Philadelphia, what an incredible moment for Freedom. The Freedom Institute is a 2026 Yass Prize Alumni Award Winner!

On October 6, at the Power of Innovation Summit in Philadelphia, Freedom was recognized alongside some of the nation’s most innovative education organizations. Selected from an outstanding group of alumni contenders, this prestigious national award celebrates our progress, impact, and potential to bring a different approach to high school to even more families.

From 2024 Semifinalist to 2026 Alumni Award Winner

What a journey in just two years!

In 2024, just over a year after opening our doors, Freedom was named one of only 25 Yass Prize Semifinalists nationwide. That early recognition helped us grow and strengthen our vision of Economic Freedom Through Learning.

Two years later, we returned with more than a vision. We brought results!

Today, Freedom serves 200+ Eagles, has grown from our original Naples campus to Freedom Ave Maria, and offers personalized learning beyond campus walls through Freedom Anywhere. Along the way, we’ve expanded opportunities in AI, dual enrollment, career exploration, internships, and real-world learning.

Our journey reflects the Yass Prize’s four guiding STOP Principles:

• Sustainable: A model designed to grow while keeping students and families at the center.
• Transformational: Personalized education connecting learning to college, careers, entrepreneurship, and life.
• Outstanding: Strong student outcomes, growing family demand, and national recognition.
• Permissionless: The courage to challenge the traditional model and create something better for students.

This award celebrates not only how far we’ve come, but what is possible when we dare to do education differently!

Freedom Takes the National Stage

Another unforgettable moment in Philadelphia!

Freedom CEO and Co-Founder Christopher Marker joined Governor Ron DeSantis and Maggie Fresen of Academica for a panel discussion on educational freedom and opportunity, moderated by Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform.

The conversation highlighted how educational choice creates opportunities for innovative models like Freedom to grow and serve families in new ways.

To see Freedom representing Southwest Florida on a national stage, sharing what we’ve built right here in our community, was an incredible honor!

As Jeanne Allen reflected in her post-Summit article, Oh Happy Day!, the Yass Prize celebrates people willing to challenge assumptions, build something different, and expand opportunities for children. That is exactly what Freedom was created to do.

What’s Next? Exploring Lee County

This award is opening doors to an exciting possibility: a potential third Freedom campus in Lee County!

Lee County has been on our radar for some time. With a large home education community, growing interest in school choice, and Freedom families already commuting from Lee County, we see an opportunity to bring our model closer to more students.

With support from this award, we will begin exploring the feasibility of a third campus, evaluating family interest, community partnerships, and the resources needed to grow thoughtfully.

Our goal isn’t simply to open more campuses. It’s to give more students the freedom to discover their strengths, pursue their passions, and prepare for a future of their choosing.

This Achievement Belongs to Our Entire Freedom Family

From 18 students in our first year to more than 200 Eagles today, none of this would have happened without the people who believed in Freedom.

To our Board of Directors, thank you for your vision and leadership. To the Dekko Foundation, thank you for believing in us from the beginning and continuing to invest in our growth. To our donors, business partners, and community supporters, thank you for helping us turn ideas into opportunities.

To our incredible Success Coaches, administrators, and staff, thank you for making Freedom special every day. And to our students and families, thank you for trusting us, believing in a different approach to high school, and showing us what is possible.

As Jeanne Allen so beautifully captured the spirit of this year’s Summit, it all comes back to three words:

Freedom. Discovery. Possibility.

From Naples to Ave Maria, and perhaps Lee County next, our journey is just beginning.

The future is bright. We are grateful. And we are just getting started!