The Pine Ridge Girls School has been announced as a finalist for the $1 million Yass Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes innovation in education.
The Pine Ridge Girls School is an independent, all-girls school located on the th sovereign Oglala Lakota reservation in South Dakota. The school is the first and only all-girls college preparatory school on a Native American reservation.
Founded in 2016, the school’s philosophy is grounded in Lakota culture and girls’ empowerment. By offering a rigorous college preparatory education, rooted in Lakota language, history, and values, the school aims to deepen students’ connection to their community and cultural identity, while preparing them for success in higher education.
The Pine Ridge Girls’ School is tuition-free and supported by private donors, receiving no state or federal funding.
The Yass Prize is viewed as the “Pulitzer for Education Innovation”—devoted to identifying and elevating the next generation of education changemakers. Through generous financial support as well as essential connectivity and knowledge-sharing, founders Janine and Jeff Yass aim to empower organizations that give students not only education, but also dignity, value, and a sense of family.
The winner of the $1 million Yass Prize will be announced at the Power of Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C., on October 6
