Kids' Chance of America

Thank you to the entire Kids' Chance community for your support of the 2024 Kids' Chance Awareness Week! All of the stories and information shared spreads the word ultimately bolstering our mission to support the kids of workers have been injured on the job. Thank you for your unwavering support. We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! We are certainly grateful for this amazing community!

#KidsChance #scholarships

Jim Hudak and Sally Silvia are thrilled to know that their scholarship is available to help Misty reach for her dreams. Jim became involved with Kids’ Chance while serving as executive chairman and chief executive officer of Paradigm Outcomes. The organization’s mission resonated with him. “My father was a schoolteacher and librarian,” he explains. “A scholarship made it possible for me to go to Yale; my family never could have afforded it otherwise. I was fortunate to have healthy, working parents, but I can relate to the need for financial support. “Paradigm was the first corporate sponsor of Kids’ Chance of America,” Jim continues. “We appreciated the effort to build a national infrastructure – that’s how Paradigm was able to grow. At the time, Kids’ Chance was active in 14 states and now there are Kids’ Chance organizations in all 50 states.” #KidsChance #scholarships

When asked why he believed Kids' Chance is an important organization to be involved in, James Shay, President & CEO of American Contractors Insurance Group (ACIG) and National Board Member shared, "For me, it is very personal. Given our mission of 'saving lives and preventing injuries' I’ve felt deeply the disappointment of failing that mission. I have always wrestled with how to address 'unfinished business' of helping the kids impacted by that failure. Personally, committing my time, treasure, and talents to Kids' Chance has been a near-perfect answer." #KidsChance #scholarships

Hannah was the first recipient of a Kids’ Chance of Nevada (KCNV) scholarship. Today, she is pursuing her dream of a career in law, while also building the Kids’ Chance community as an Ambassador and a member of the KCNV board. “Kids’ Chance has been a huge and integral foundation in making my dream of becoming a lawyer real,” she says. #KidsChance #scholarships

"Last year, I wrote about how my parents inspired me to give back in a meaningful way, and I continue to honor that legacy. In the past year, through the KCOA National Conference and routine business travel, I have met Kids' Chance delegates from many other state organizations, got to know our KCOA Student Ambassadors, and interacted with several of our scholarship recipients here in Illinois. What strikes me is that we provide so much more than just funding; I describe it in terms of critical C's. First, of course, is the Cash for College, and although we don't always cover the entire cost of tuition, many of our students have few options without scholarships. We also provide other C's in the form of Community and Connection. Kids' Chance has the unique ability to introduce our scholars to others who have had a similar experience of losing a parent or dealing with a life-changing injury in their family. Our students understand each other in ways that their peers often can't. Finally, my favorite thing about my career journey is that I have engaged with almost every industry and business through insurance. Our WC community is incredibly well-connected internally and externally. As a result, we have tremendous opportunities to connect students to employers and leaders in any vocation they wish to pursue. This is part of a larger obligation not only to help families overcome the immediate impact of the claim but to set the student up for success after graduation."- Melissa Dunn, FIGUR8 Inc., Executive Director National Sales

A football scholarship was not quite enough to make ends meet for Marco. Alabama Law Foundation | Kids’ Chance was able to fill that gap, ensuring that Marco could stay in college and work toward a career in computer science. He is eager to let other students in similar situations know about Kids’ Chance. “This opportunity was a blessing,” he says. “I want people to know that just because you have a couple of hardships in your life, it’s not over.” #KidsChance #scholarships

“Since Paradigm started 30 years ago, our North Star metric has been putting people first. We've seen first-hand how severe and catastrophic workplace injuries impact the entire family. The support and hope Kids' Chance provides to the children of injured workers can be life-changing. It's truly an honor and privilege to support this organization and its mission to create brighter futures for the children of workers who have been injured on the job." - John Watts Jr., CEO of Paradigm

"Kids’ Chance has been the largest financial support I have had throughout my college career. Because of the generosity of Kids’ Chance, I’ve been fortunate enough to have funding that covers my tuition– allowing me to feel the financial stress of college lifted from my shoulders. I’m looking forward to graduating college as a first-generation student in honor of my late father. Growing up, my dad had encouraged me to attend college while pushing me to go above and beyond in my academics. Completing my degree means I have accomplished one of his greatest dreams.” #KidsChance #scholarships

Kids’ Chance of America unites the workers’ compensation community toward a common cause. We’re proud to have many leaders in the industry as our national partners, like Sedgwick. “At Sedgwick, taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do. I'm proud to be part of Kids' Chance where we help children in need secure a bright future through education.” - Andrea Buhl, President, Casualty for Sedgwick