The Learning Center for the Deaf was selected as a semifinalist for the nationally recognized The Yass Prize and Center for Reform.
TLC will receive $200,000 to support its programs and services, including its two Deaf schools, Marie Philip School and Walden School, which serve deaf and hard-of-hearing youth and adolescents from Pre-K to Grade 12+.
“We are thrilled that TLC has joined a very powerful network of education-based organizations to be recognized as truly representing the mission of quality education and impact,” said CEO Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith. “We thank The Yass Prize committee and judges for recognizing our programs' significant impact on deaf youth and the broader Deaf community. We are committed to expanding our two schools, providing a rich language learning environment, and enhancing Deaf education with forward-thinking technology and curriculum to give our students the tools they need to fulfill their potential.”
The Yass Prize, founded in 2021, rewards education providers who best demonstrate the STOP principles: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless.
As part of its application, TLC reaffirmed its commitment to investing in several initiatives that embrace and advance student education, including Deaf School Safety Infrastructure, CTE/Technology, Equity and Inclusion, Deaf Early Childhood Program Expansion, and Parent Engagement.
Additional initiatives noted in TLC’s grant application include establishing a student recording studio to empower Deaf learners to produce work in a visual environment conducive to their needs and enhancing career transition services.
These projects support unleashing the full potential of Deaf students and create a tangible impact on this often invisible student population.
TLC provides comprehensive services to the broader Deaf community, including a parent infant program for deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to age 3, an early childhood center program for children ages 3-6, and day and residential programs for children ages 7 and older.
Walden School is one of only two schools in the country that provides trauma-informed clinical care for deaf youth who have experienced language deprivation and/or behavioral health needs.
More than 850 judges reviewed thousands of applications to narrow down the top 25 finalists; one winner was selected to receive the $1 million grand prize.
The 2024 Yass Prize Semifinalists represent a microcosm of 21st-century, personalized approaches that better educate students, pre-K, and beyond. These competitors' extraordinary breadth and depth for the grand prize are carving pathways to success that defy convention. From educational metaverses and AI-driven organizations that address the whole learning cycle to more familiar yet unique learning environments and content-rich learning solutions to training and leadership, the 25 awardees are all transforming education for students at every level and every stage of life.