Habitat for Aviation Receives a $500,000 Yass Prize STOP Award

Written by Beth White

On October 6, at the Power of Innovation Summit in Philadelphia, Habitat for Aviation was named a 2026 Yass Prize finalist and received a $500,000 STOP Award in the Transformational category. The honor recognizes our approach to education and the four principles the Yass Foundation for Education looks for: Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless learning.

We are honored to be chosen as one of eight finalists. This is an extraordinary vote of confidence. This award will help ignite our plans to transform our donated 9,600-square-foot airport building into a rich year-round learning environment, expand staffing and direct programming, and strengthen the model.

We are deeply grateful to the Yass family and to the Center for Education Reform, and to everyone who has built Habitat for Aviation with us. This prize is unlocking our next chapter. Stay tuned!

Help us make the most of this moment at habitatforaviation.org/give.

Beth White

Education Possibilitarian, Artist, Writer, Doula, Mentor, Aviatrix, Breast Cancer Survivor, Pilot-in-Command at Habitat for Aviation

Born and raised in Vermont, Beth worked in a variety of schools in New England, including The Met, which is Big Picture Learning, flagship public high school in Providence, Rhode Island. After a decade in the classroom, Beth returned to the University of Vermont to earn a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies. She is an education possibilitarian, artist, a writer, a doula, a mentor and aviatrix and most recently, after winning a tough battle with breast cancer, Beth founded Habitat for Aviation to inspire the next generation of airplane mechanics, avionics, specialists and pilots.

Next

Hands-On Careers at the Workforce in Motion Summit