He looks like any bright-eyed college kid, with a big smile on his face and an air of optimism about him. He’s John Kulik, a senior at Bloomsburg University majoring in marketing, and he’s proud to tell you he’s made the Dean’s List. He’s also eager to tell you that none of this would have been possible without Kids’ Chance, a nonprofit organization that helps fund the education of children whose parents have been injured or killed on the job. His mother had been seriously hurt and couldn’t return to work.

“I realized my dream of going to school would also come with a significant amount of debt,” he said. “That all changed during my sophomore year of college, when I first heard of Kids’ Chance.”

John’s story is one of many that were celebrated in April during Kids’ Chance of America’s Annual Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. Affiliates from 36 states attended to share stories of success and develop ideas to help even more students reach their educational goals.

Paradigm Outcomes has been one of the largest contributors to Kids’ Chance for five years, and our team was well represented in Little Rock. Attendees learned about scholarship trends and insurance issues for nonprofits, shared ideas, challenges and solutions, and heard great success stories from around the country. We were pleased to discover that scholarship rates for Kids’ Chance continue to grow and that the organization’s Planning for College initiative is contributing more and more applicants each day.

“It was so inspiring to hear how deserving kids are getting the scholarships they need for school,” said Kevin Turner, Paradigm’s chief sales officer. “At Paradigm, we’re all about better outcomes for injured workers. But with Kids’ Chance, we’re seeing another kind of positive outcome—children getting a college education. Something they may not have thought possible following their parent’s accident. It’s an outcome that will pay dividends for a lifetime for these families.”

With the help of Paradigm and other sponsors, the state organizations receive funds from Kids’ Chance of America to support scholarship programs throughout the U.S.

“We look forward to helping Kids’ Chance grow even more in the coming year, reaching more families than ever,“ said Turner. “It’s part of our mission to help these injured workers and their families achieve a fulfilling life.”

John Kulik couldn’t agree more. “I speak for all of us, both students and families that have benefitted from this organization, that we are forever grateful for the support. You’ve taken the stress from our families by turning these hardships into a chance for us to attend college.”

Visit www.kidschance.org to learn more, make a donation or get involved.