Governor Beshear’s Senior Advisor Rocky Adkins today joined Mayor Linda Gorton and Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins to announce a $500,000 award from “Everybody Counts” to expand scholarship opportunities and support to eligible traditional high school students and public alternative high school students actively participating in the Everybody Counts initiative.

“Building Bridges to Opportunity,” led by Devine Carama and One Lexington, is a unique collaboration between state and local governments, Fayette County Public Schools and The Fayette Education Foundation with support by Blue Grass Community Foundation school to provide support and opportunity for those affected by gun violence. Whether it’s inequities or trauma, many students struggle to elevate beyond their circumstances. Our hope is that this initiative can serve our most vulnerable students and families by building bridges to sustainable opportunities.

The “Building Bridges to Opportunity” program will provide college scholarships and funding for non-traditional post-secondary skills development, as well as support services for scholarship recipients. The program will also provide trauma-informed care services, enhance in-school mentoring and provide additional programming to support students affected by gun violence.

Under the program, $10,000 scholarships will be available to 18 rising seniors who are people of color. Two scholarships will be offered at each of Fayette County’s six public high schools; plus one scholarship at each of the district’s six non-traditional high schools. Students must be interested in pursuing careers in criminal justice, public safety, education or mental health fields.

The “Building Bridges to Opportunity” program is an expansion of the scholarship program One Lexington launched in 2022, the “Be the Change” scholarship. It began with donations from Central Bank and Galls, which teamed with the city to provide $10,000 scholarships to two local Bryan Station High School students interested in pursuing careers in criminal justice or public safety.

For more information, go to Building Bridges to Opportunity.