This year marks the 10th anniversary of Kids’ Chance Awareness Week, taking place November 18–22. By coming together to raise awareness and provide valuable support, committed organizations and individuals can amplify Kids’ Chance of America’s mission to raise more money for more kids. Since 1988, this amazing cause has enabled the children of injured workers and those who have lost their lives on the job to pursue their educational dreams without financial burden.

Now, with a presence in all 50 states, Kids’ Chance organizations have awarded nearly 11,000 scholarships totaling more than $39 million over the past three-plus decades. This includes more than 672 scholarships and $3,301,867 for the 2023-2024 period alone.

Kids’ Chance and Paradigm—2024 highlights
Kids’ Chance of America represents Paradigm’s core philanthropic partnership, and as their largest corporate sponsor, we have contributed more than $1.67 million to this cause throughout 13-plus years. Additionally, our Kids’ Chance Community Team—comprising 28 employees representing 16 states plus the national affiliation—regularly organizes and attends fundraisers and events throughout the year.

This past year has once again exemplified the strong relationship between Kids’ Chance and Paradigm:

• Earlier this year, Paradigm Chief Growth Officer Kevin Turner proudly received the Robert M. Clyatt Distinguished Service Award for his 14 years of work to grow Kids’ Chance. During his time with the organization, Kevin served as both President and Chair of the Advisory Board. While President, he was instrumental in growing individual state chapters, increasing the number of awarded scholarships, and preparing the organization for continued growth. But according to Kevin, his proudest accomplishment was building the presence of Kids’ Chance in all 50 states.
• Paradigm team members from across the country collaborated to create a beautiful quilt that was auctioned off at the 2024 Paradigm Catastrophic Clinical Summit, with all proceeds benefiting Kids’ Chance. Contributors included Deb Gangwer; Sheila Bennion; Mary Ellen Wadsworth; Sherie Shuster; Amy Meltzer; Christy Greer; Rosanne Rechlin; Meghan Chisholm; and Michelle Baker. Paradigm was also grateful to Comp-X Medical for generously matching the funds raised.
• During the 2024 National Comp Conference, visitors to the Paradigm booth were asked to share their passion for workers’ comp while an on-site artist transformed these stories into one unifying illustration. For each submission, Paradigm made a donation to Kids’ Chance, resulting in $4,000 raised during the three-day event. Thank you again to everyone who told their story and made this support possible!

The inspiring impact of Kids’ Chance
The difference that Kids’ Chance makes in the lives of the children of critically injured workers is showcased most strongly in the many amazing stories from scholarship recipients, including those of Tegan and Marco:

Growing up in a single-parent household, Tegan’s life became even more complex when her mother was injured on the job. When she learned about Kids’ Chance through her school’s guidance counselor, the support she received put her on the path toward a better future. Studying biology at an out-of-state school, she is very thankful for the opportunities the organization provided, as she explains: “With the financial support I needed, I could pick the school I’d be most happy at.”

After Marco’s father was injured in his job as a welder, his family struggled to send their kids to college. Despite being awarded a partial football scholarship, he still didn’t have the financial resources necessary to attend school full time and pursue his dream of majoring in computer science. With the support of Kids’ Chance, he was able to fill the gap and line up jobs in his chosen profession: “I just feel as though this opportunity…was a blessing. Without it, I don’t know if what I got going for myself would be possible.”

Our time to raise awareness—together
Paradigm remains dedicated to spreading the word and growing support for this incredibly worthy cause. You can help us promote Kids’ Chance by liking and sharing our posts on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook and including the hashtags #KidsChance,  #scholarships, and #moremoneyformorekids.

We also invite you to visit the Kids’ Chance Awareness Week web page and follow their social media channels for more information and to give your support.