TUTWILER — The Tutwiler Community Education Center was announced Sept. 14 as one of 64 education providers named quarterfinalists for the prestigious 2023 Yass Prize.
The Tutwiler center was the only quarterfinalist from Mississippi.
Quarterfinalists each receive $100,000.
The Tutwiler center is ensured at least that much, but it could be much more if the center continues to advance in the selection process.
From the group of quarterfinalists, 32 semifinalists will be named Oct. 10, each receiving $200,000.
Eight finalists are selected, with seven of them getting $500,000 and one, deemed the 2023 Yass Prize winner, receiving $1 million.
According to a news release, the Yass Prize “is considered the Pulitzer of Education Innovation” and honors schools, community organizations and education technology providers.
Hans Hageman, executive director of the Tutwiler Community Education Center, said selection as a quarterfinalist “allows us to develop and implement an innovative educational model and deepen our commitment to our community’s rich cultural heritage. We also plan to uplift our young residents’ futures. Our traditional programs in African American quilting, music instruction, and its civil rights legacy are not relics of the past but vibrant aspects of our educational tapestry, uniting generations and grounding our students in their history.
Hans Hageman is executive director of the Tutwiler Community Education Center.
“We plan to create a microschool innovation hub,” Hageman continued. “The power of microschools lies in their flexibility and adaptability, tailored to the community’s needs and global trends. That’s why we’re fusing traditional arts with cutting-edge programs like drone technology, robotics and community vegetable gardens. This blend of old and new will enrich our curriculum and broaden students’ horizons, showing them that innovation and tradition are not mutually exclusive but can synergize to create something extraordinary.
“The $100,000 award will be channeled to launch and enrich these unique programs. We will upgrade our technology infrastructure, create our community gardens and invest in specialized instructors for our traditional and modern subjects," Hageman noted. "We aim to create an immersive learning environment that is as diverse, dynamic and boundless as the minds we are shaping. This prize provides us with the resources to bring that vision to fruition, impacting not just individual students but revitalizing education across the Mississippi Delta and setting a new standard for educational excellence nationwide.”
