BOISE, Idaho — Kids' Chance of Idaho is the September recipient of the Idaho News 6 Shine a Light Award.
The nonprofit provides scholarships to children whose parents have been seriously injured or killed on the job.
Watch to see how Kids' Chance of Idaho is helping children pursue higher education after a workplace injury or death —
"When you have a parent that has been seriously injured or killed on the job, the family is really affected by an accident or a fatality," said Emma Wilson, president of Kids' Chance of Idaho. "Especially for families who are thinking of going to college, I mean, that might be completely out of reach once you have a parent — you don't have that income,"
Wilson said a workplace injury or death can have a major financial impact on families, making college harder to afford.
Since its founding, Kids' Chance of Idaho has awarded 44 scholarships totaling more than $116,000. The organization awarded 15 scholarships last year alone.
Vice President Brittney Wheeler said children of workers injured on the job generally do not receive workers' compensation benefits unless the injury results in a death, leaving some students without financial support for higher education.
"They depend on Kids' Chance because if it wasn't for a scholarship, they wouldn't go on to a higher education," Wheeler said.
