Colorado RiteCare Scholarship Program Being Implemented
by Vernon B. Ingraham, 33˚, Executive Secretary, Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado.

In April 2004, the Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado launched a $250,000 fundraising campaign to create a scholarship fund for speech-language pathology. We are happy to report that as of January 31, 2005, more than $258,000 has been raised for this purpose. The fundraising campaign officially ends on March 31, 2005, with the pledge conversion period extending thru December 31, 2005.

This fund enables the Foundation to begin a scholarship program in 2005 to help individuals who are dedicating their lives to helping others. The Foundation is especially interested in this program as Colorado is facing serious shortages in fully qualified speech-language pathologists. These shortages are not only impacting the delivery of services in the public school system but also affecting the availability of services in some of our RiteCare clinics. The need for more speech-language pathologists is particularly acute in rural Colorado.

Each year the Foundation will award at least two $5,000 graduate scholarships in speech-language pathology. Two Colorado institutions of higher learning currently offer a Masters degree program in speech-language pathology: the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Northern Colorado. Each university’s two-year degree program leads to national certification as a speech-language pathologist.

The accompanying photo was taken at the biennial RiteCare conference this past fall. The speech-language pathologists shown here represent our Colorado clinics and the more than 70 speech-language professionals who deliver RiteCare services in the state. They join their colleagues and the Foundation in thanking Colorado’s Scottish Rite Masons and friends in helping deserving graduate students enter the field of speech-language pathology.