By Mike McKenna
It doesn’t matter where we come from or even where we want to go in life, we all like to feel seen and supported for the unique people we are.
That’s what makes the annual Blaine County Education Foundation (BCEF) Scholarship Fair so special. This year, it happens at Wood River High School on Monday, January 12 from 3:30–6 p.m. Last year alone the BCEF gave out over 50 scholarships worth more than $230,000 to local high school students pursuing a wide variety of post-graduation interests.
“To have people see your potential and then put money behind it is super empowering,” Deborah Van Law said.
Deborah is the executive director for BCEF. After spending nearly two decades teaching a variety of subjects and grades locally, first at Hemingway Elementary and then at Alturas Elementary, she took over the reins at BCEF in 2023.
“I loved teaching and think it prepared me for this job,” Deborah said. “I’m inspired by our local teachers and our local families and by what happens every day in our schools. I deeply respect education and want to help in any way I can.”
And she is not alone. Deborah said people call her almost every day to find out how they can help support local public education in Blaine County. The annual Scholarship Fair is a good place to start.
The fair offers students funding for everything from small scholarships, to help with one-time purchases like books, to multi-year support. Some grants are general, while others are specific to fields of study, like those going into the construction trades or who want to pursue music, agriculture, early childhood education or medical and fire sciences.
“There’s something out there for every kind of student,” Deborah said.
The nonprofit BCEF was created in 1992 to help raise community resources to support local students in a wide variety of ways. The annual Scholarship Fair is just one of the ways they help.
The “Education Foundation,” as many call it, helps through its “Students in Need Fund.” This fund is designed to remove barriers to learning or participating in school activities. This program includes the School Meals Fund, which provides meals to qualifying students at no cost.
Its “Can Do Fund” is also part of this program and helps students with everything from team uniforms to music equipment rentals, field trip fees, graduation costs and school supplies. Once again this year, BCEF provided over 400 backpacks with school gear for students.
Another program is their “Innovative Grants.” These grants can be applied school-wide or by staff members and can be used to help with everything from adaptive resources to literacy materials to bringing the arts to schools.
“These programs help families and teachers who need our support to be successful,” Deborah said. “There is a surprising amount of need here and it’s wonderful how our community is so supportive and generous.”
It is pretty empowering to have people believe in you and offer some support for you to chase after your dreams. Our community is lucky to have the BCEF to help make these connections.
If you’d like to help or find out more about the Scholarship Fair, please go to SupportBCEF.org.
