Nationwide — Kidvation Global, an Oklahoma-based nonprofit focused on youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and educational equity, has been named a 2026 Yass Prize Contender, placing the organization among 26 education innovators from across the country competing for the prestigious $1 million Yass Prize. The recognition highlights the organization’s innovative approach to helping young people become more than students; they become innovators, entrepreneurs, problem-solvers, and changemakers
The Yass Prize recognizes education organizations developing sustainable and transformational approaches that expand opportunity and challenge traditional models of learning. For Kidvation Global, that transformation begins by giving young people permission to imagine. “Too often, young people are taught to find the right answer instead of being empowered to imagine what could be possible,” said Harold Lee Jr., Co-Founder of the organization. “We believe every young person has the capacity to be an innovator. Our job is to give them the tools, experiences, confidence, and opportunities to turn their ideas into something real.”
From Ideas to Action
Kidvation Global’s signature Applied Imagination™ curriculum teaches students the repeatable behaviors of innovative thinkers and gives them opportunities to apply those behaviors to real-world challenges. Students explore entrepreneurship, STEM, artificial intelligence, research and development, social activism, and community problem-solving while learning how to identify problems, develop ideas, build prototypes, test solutions, and communicate their vision.
The organization has already impacted more than 5,000 students across 20 states and six countries. One of Kidvation Global’s most distinctive innovations is its Marketplace of Ideas, an e-commerce platform created specifically for student entrepreneurs. Through the platform, students can market and sell products they create through Kidvation programming while keeping 100% of the revenue from their sales.
The goal is to move entrepreneurship beyond a classroom exercise. Students aren’t simply writing hypothetical business plans. They are creating products, developing brands, interacting with customers, marketing their ideas, and experiencing what it means to bring an idea to market. “We want students to understand that their ideas have value,” said Lee. “When a young person creates something, puts it in front of a customer, makes a sale, and earns money from something they built, that can fundamentally change how they see themselves and what they believe is possible.”
Expanding Access to Innovation
Kidvation Global places a particular emphasis on students who have historically had limited access to entrepreneurship, STEM, innovation, and enrichment opportunities. The organization serves youth ages 8–18 and works with schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to bring innovation-focused learning experiences directly to students. Its approach is rooted in the belief that educational equity should include more than access to a classroom.
Students should also have access to opportunities to create, experiment, lead, solve problems, and build something of their own. Kidvation’s model is also expanding beyond student programming, with efforts focused on helping educators and other adults develop an innovator’s mindset so they can create learning environments that encourage curiosity, creativity, experimentation, and action.
An Oklahoma Idea With National Potential
Being selected as a 2026 Yass Prize Contender represents a significant milestone for an organization that began in Oklahoma with a vision of reimagining how young people learn. The 26 contenders will participate in the Yass Prize Accelerator and compete for the $1 million grand prize.
For Kidvation Global, the recognition is about more than winning a competition. It is an opportunity to bring greater national attention to a different vision of education, one in which young people aren’t simply prepared for the future, but are given the tools to help create it. “What started as an idea to help young people see themselves differently has grown into a movement,” said Lee. “We want every young person to understand that they don’t have to wait until they’re adults to make an impact. They can start now.”
About
Kidvation Global is an Oklahoma-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people to become innovators, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. Through its Applied Imagination™ curriculum and initiatives such as the Marketplace of Ideas, Kidvation provides students with opportunities to develop ideas, create solutions, launch products, and apply innovative thinking to real-world challenges. The organization has impacted more than 5,000 students across 20 states and six countries and continues to expand its work with schools, educators, nonprofits, and communities nationwide. Learn more at KidvationGlobal.com
For more information and/or media inquiries, please contact us at info@kidvationglobal.com