Unified Caring Association (UCA) has a scholarship program that runs throughout the year. Currently we have one open for US High School juniors and seniors (ends 11/29/2019). As we arrive to our newest batch of scholarships for teens we want to share more about our unique scholarship program.
UCA Has Awarded Over 100 Scholarships to Caring Students
Our UCA scholarship program both rewards those who care and celebrates their kindness while supporting their ongoing journey in education. These nationwide and program specific scholarships are created by us and invite students to write short essays answering a caring prompt. These essays are then run through a “caring rubric” that allows students who are not typically awarded scholarships to receive help for their unique talent: caring and kindness!
This scholarship program has been warmly embraced by school guidance counsellors, teachers and students. As the students display and articulate their caring essays filled with kindness and caring intelligence we are reminded about the importance of kindness, gratitude, friendship, and more. Our hearts swell with each essay, The beautiful hearts and minds that create these caring responses put forth caring actions as caring ambassadors.
Featuring Regan Bell- Winner – June 2019
“We Have to Change [-] Being caring is a decision. The world is not going to be more caring until people decide to be. Many things could use a change but the one thing that I want to change is the Foster Care system. There are different aspects concerning it that need help. The first being people’s opinion about it. The others being better treatment and a shot to change their lives for the better. If these changed, I think the world would be a warmer place.
As a whole, I think Foster Care is not commonly thought of. Or if it is, people do not want any part in it because it can be intimidating. It is great that people choose to adopt from other countries, but also sad that they do not think about the children who need them here, locally. These kids do have some issues, but it is because they have not been loved, or loved enough. That can change though. I do not know if people understand that. They need a home just as much. I know that adoption is not always possible; a bulk of the children stay only temporarily since they may still have living family. With that said though, having a nice place to be while their parents or former guardians clean up would help them out so much. The result of opening up your home to someone who needs it, humbles you and makes you more compassionate. The world could use a little more of that.
Another thing I see that needs fixed is the treatment allowed while these children are in the system. I have seen and heard many awful things. More background checks are needed before these kids are placed in a home. What are we teaching these youth when they get placed in houses like these? Environments like this create hate-filled hearts. These kids would learn to be more soft and caring if that is what they received.
This last idea is one that I have thought a lot about, especially with where I am at now. I am graduating and my heart goes out to the kids who are aging out of the system. Where are they going to go? With whose help? I have the opportunity to go to college with people and scholarships to help me get there. They deserve the same. It would be amazing to see some sort of program that raised money for them. These young adults deserve an education just as much as I do. And if they knew a charity was made for people like them, they would care more about their education and see a brighter future for themselves. Knowing of someone else’s concern for them would help them develop more tenderness themselves.
The whole proposal of this essay is that if we want more kindness in this world, we have to give some back. It requires action. We could do much more to find foster kids safe places to live, places to feel loved, and opportunities to progress. If we want the world to be more caring, let us care for those who need it most.”
