North Dakota startup receives national recognition, becomes eligible for $1M prize

FARGO, N.D. – Be More Colorful, the Fargo-based company behind the CareerViewXR career exploration platform, is announcing its selection as a quarterfinalist for the 2023 Yass Prize. This national accolade, nicknamed the “Pulitzer of Education Innovation,” is part of the STOP Awards initiative, which stands for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education. Be More Colorful is among 64 innovative organizations from across the country who have been recognized for their efforts in personalizing education and addressing the needs of diverse student populations. 

Matt Chaussee, CEO and Co-Founder of Be More Colorful, expressed both gratitude and excitement: “Our entire team is over the moon about being named a quarterfinalist for this prestigious award. We look forward to meeting and learning from the other Yass Prize awardees and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to build lifelong relationships with others who share our passion for helping kids discover a joy for learning that will set them up for a lifetime of success and happiness.” 

Watch the quarterfinalist announcement livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTgr8ATIeWQ 

CareerViewXR and the STOP Principles 

CareerViewXR was selected as a Yass quarterfinalist and eligible to compete for the top-level prize of $1 million because it demonstrates adherence to the STOP principles created by The Yass Foundation for Education. 

• Sustainable: CareerViewXR offers a sustainable way for students to explore their career interests and options, providing an affordable, consistent and ever-expanding resource for schools. The platform enables equitable access to career exploration by removing the time, geographic, safety, financial and privacy constraints that make in-person career exploration difficult and often impossible to schedule. 
• Transformational: CareerViewXR revolutionizes the way students, parents and teachers engage with potential careers by providing immersive web-based tours and virtual reality video experiences that bring the jobsite into the classroom. These experiences break down barriers and misperceptions about career pathways by giving them a first-hand look at real people performing real work in virtual reality. 
• Outstanding: The CareerViewXR platform is committed to delivering authentic and flexible educational experiences, providing each student with a customizable and personalized choose-your-own-adventure journey through the world of potential careers. 
• Permissionless: CareerViewXR enables unrestricted access for all students, removing barriers to entry and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to explore and understand the world of potential careers.