Investing in the Helpers Who Shape Our Communities

We fund scholarships, practicum stipends, and classroom support for social workers and teachers in Colorado and Wyoming, especially those serving rural communities.

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Communities depend on helpers. Helpers need support too.

Social workers sit with families in crisis. Teachers guide students toward their futures. Yet the people entering these careers face steep tuition, unpaid practicums, and uneven access to funding. Teachers already in the classroom often buy their own supplies.

These gaps hit rural communities hardest.

The Helping Professions Education Fund exists to close these gaps. We help social workers and teachers enter and stay in the careers that thriving communities depend on.

How we help

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Scholarships

$1,000 scholarships for students in accredited social work and teacher education programs. Funds go straight to the student’s financial aid office.

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Practicum Stipends

Stipends of up to $500 for social work and education students completing unpaid practicums and field placements, so they can afford to gain hands-on experience.

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Classroom Support

Classroom equipment and supplies for current teachers and in-kind donations to schools.

For Teachers

Our Story

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Our founder, Kush Desai, has spent his career as a social worker. He has served individuals experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors, families in the child welfare system, and individuals nearing the end of life on hospice. Across his work, he saw the same pattern.

Communities needed more helpers, and the people answering that call faced real financial and structural barriers.

Kush’s late grandfather was an educator and community advocate. He helped students in rural communities reach for better opportunities. The Helping Professions Education Fund carries that legacy forward.

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  • “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

    — Margaret Mead

Give to scholarships, practicum stipends, or classroom supplies.

$500 funds one practicum stipend, and $1,000 funds one full scholarship. 100% of your gift goes to the program you choose.

The Helping Professions Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Our EIN is 41-3836529.

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