tHE CADEN BLASCHKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

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 ORIGINAL IDEAS

Jeff and I are very excited to be reaching the end of our research on best ways to reach the kids in need and make a difference in mental health awareness in our community! We have had several meetings with Fayetteville High School and Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and have decided to work with them as they have the necessary connections through counselors and teachers to reach the kids in need. We have multiple options to pick from and plan to go with more than one. Our top three options thus far are:

1. Funding kids who don’t have Medicaid and fall through the cracks with insurance. We would provide funds each year to cover their necessary therapy/doctor appointments. FHS had some excess funds for this through the Covid relief funds, but no longer do.

2. Funding a grant through the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation that teachers can apply for that will be stipulated toward helping spread mental health awareness. We want these kids to know that there are people at the schools that can get them the help they need without having to tell their parents if they aren’t ready to do so. We want to end these kids suffering in silence and thinking they need to handle these big obstacles on their own.

3. Providing a scholarship to a High School Senior entering college with plans to major in social work. The scholarship will be in Caden’s name as a way to carry on his legacy of wanting to help these kids and majoring in social work himself.

We have a few other options to consider such as sponsoring a bed/room at Vantage Point and working with someone at the UofA to help students in the social work field with finances during their unpaid internships.