Salt & Light Academy for Boys, a Mt. Airy-based hybrid “microschool” at the New Covenant campus, has been named one of 26 education organizations nationwide selected as a 2026 Yass Prize contender.

The microschool — a learning environment with smaller enrollment than most schools — is competing for the $1 million Yass Prize. The winner will be announced in Philadelphia on Oct. 6.

The Yass Prize was founded by Janine and Jeff Yass, the richest man in Pennsylvania and a promoter of school choice, in partnership with the Center for Education Reform. The prize is awarded to schools based on four key principles in the acronym STOP. Jéneen Winters Barlow, executive director of Salt & Light, believes the school fits into this model.

“Is the education that’s being provided sustainable?” Barlow said. “Is it transformational? Is it outstanding? And is it permissionless? Salt & Light Academy for Boys absolutely aligns with that.”

Salt & Light serves boys from kindergarten through 12th grade, with a current enrollment of 22 students.

Jéneen Winters Barlow and her husband, Omar Barlow, a founder of the school, have more than 50 combined years of education experience. They had heard of the Yasses through their work. When it came time to apply for the Yass Prize, the pair jumped at the opportunity.

The Barlows said being picked as a finalist for the Yass Prize is affirming of the work they do to educate young men, who often face different challenges compared to young women.

“Here at Salt & Light Academy for Boys, we focus on a pedagogy of love,” Omar Barlow said. “Love is something that for many boys is very foreign. People are okay with expressing love to girls, but sometimes when they get to boys they don’t necessarily know what that means.”

He uses LOVE as an acronym to define the school’s approach. L stands for learning about each individual student — their history, likes, dislikes, and curiosities. O stands for offering a place of belonging. Many of the boys entering Salt & Light say they do not have friends, but Barlow said the school offers them a place to make these bonds. V stands for valuing their potential, or putting the students on the path to discovering a life of purpose. Lastly, E stands for expectations that students will do their work, behave, and become the best they can be.

The Barlows said they had experienced the “turmoil” of not finding the right educational space for their three children. For instance, their son Nathanael did not thrive in a traditional schooling environment, but when they placed him in an online school, he was able to pursue his musical talents and attend Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship.

“Omar and I acknowledge that we are privileged and that we had the education experience, but we’re also entrepreneurs, and so we had time to do those things with Nathanael,” Jéneen Barlow said. “But not every parent does.”

She said she feels passionately that an option like Salt & Light offers an alternative to those who don’t want to send their children to public school.

“The argument that’s going on is about choice,” she said. “But the reality is that people who have means have always had a choice. We were able to choose something different for our children because we had social capital and income. We had the income, but people who don’t have choice are usually poor… and they end up just being left with what they have.”

Her husband agrees that his family was privileged and wants to extend similar opportunities to others.

“Our obligation is to make sure that families in our region have an opportunity to not only have a highly performing, academically challenging environment, but also an environment that helps them make the adjustment socially to being a productive, purposeful young man that can ultimately become a leader of their own life,” he said.

If Salt & Light were to win the $1 million Yass Prize, the Barlows say they intend to expand the enrollment at the school and reach their capacity of 75 boys. They also are interested in launching new sites across Philadelphia.

The duo said getting this prize would be a win not just for Salt & Light, but for the region.

“It’s a win for Philadelphia because it’s not necessarily about competition, but it’s about adding more value so that families and young boys can be adequately served, and that’s really what we’re after,” Omar Barlow said. “We’re honored to be a finalist among thousands of applicants for the Yass Prize. This is something that acknowledges our educational innovation because this prize is almost like the Pulitzer of education, so it’s really a big deal.”

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.