Announcing the Scott C Labarre Memorial Scholarship Program for Colorado and Wyoming blind and low-vision post-secondary students
2024 Scholarship Program
Building Opportunities for the Blind in Education and Beyond
*Award *Encourage *Achieve
This year the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado will be awarding up to $10,000 in scholarship funds for deserving students. This year we are excited to announce that we are offering scholarships to students from Wyoming as well.
If you are a legally blind student who is a resident of Colorado or Wyoming, please apply immediately!
If you are a teacher, counselor, family member, or friend of a legally blind student who is a resident of Colorado or Wyoming, please encourage them to apply now!
Each year at its state convention, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado (NFBCO) gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado is an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for all blind persons. Recipients of Federation scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado nor the National Federation of the Blind.
All applicants for these scholarships must be
(1) legally blind (official documentation of blindness is required)
(2) a resident of Colorado or Wyoming, and,
(3) Must be eighteen years of age by July 1, 2024.
(4) Must be able to attend the NFB national convention and NFBCO State conventions in their entirety.
(5) pursuing or planning to attend a full-time post-secondary course of study in the fall semester of 2024 or attending school part-time and working full-time.
Students who have previously won an NFBCO scholarship are encouraged to apply again.
All scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, service to the community, and financial need.
Applications are due by Monday, April 15, 2024.
WINNERS:
The Scholarship Committee reviews all applications and selects the scholarship winners. These winners will be notified of their selection by telephone no later than June 1, 2024. Winners will attend the 2024 National Federation of the Blind of Colorado’s annual state convention held October 24-27, 2024. The 2024 state convention will take place in the Denver metro area. Winners will be awarded their scholarships at the banquet ceremonies. Family members are encouraged to join us at the state convention banquet.
The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado state convention is the largest gathering of blind persons held in the state each year. You will be able to meet other blind students and exchange information and ideas. You will also be able to meet and talk with blind people who are successfully functioning in your chosen profession or occupation. Federal and state officials, members of Congress, and the producers and distributors of new technology attend Federation conventions. Above all, a broad cross-section of the most active segment of the blind population of Colorado will be present to discuss common problems and plan for concerted action. At the 2024 state convention we will also be inviting leaders of the blind of Wyoming.
In addition, scholarship winners will be required to attend the 2024 NFB national convention which is scheduled to take place July 3-8 in Orlando, FL. This expense-paid National Federation of the Blind convention education experience is in addition to the scholarship grant. Winners will participate in the entire convention and in the scheduled scholarship program activities. Although family members are welcome to join us and participate in convention activities (at their own expense), the scholarship winners will have an assigned roommate for the duration of the convention and will have daily assignments. It is our hope that the national convention will be a wonderful learning experience for our scholarship winners.
All decisions by the Scholarship Committee are final.
For additional information about the scholarship program or the NFBCO state convention, contact Cody Bair NFBCO Scholarship Committee Co-Chairperson, at 970-673-6998 or email him at codyjbair@yahoo.com or Maureen Nietfeld NFBCO scholarship committee chairperson at 215-353-7218 or email her at mnietfeld@cocenter.org.
AWARDS:
The day of the state convention banquet the Scholarship Committee meets to determine the scholarship amount to be awarded to each winner. The scholarship awards will be announced and presented at the banquet.
MAKING APPLICATION:
To apply for the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado scholarship, complete and return the application, attaching to the application all documents requested.
Mail completed applications to the attention of Cody Bair, Scholarship Committee Co-Chairperson, National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, 2233 W. Shepperd Avenue, Littleton, CO 80120, or email to NFBCO’s Administrative Assistant Lisa Bonderson at lbonderson@cocenter.org.
Completed application must be received by Monday, April 15, 2024.
Apply now for an NFB of Colorado State Scholarship!
Who was Scott C LaBarre? Scott LaBarre passed away in December 2022. Scott was the longtime president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. Scott, totally blind since his middle school years found the people and the possibilities of the National Federation of the Blind when he was a college freshman in 1986. He found the organized blind movement through our national scholarship program. LaBarre earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota. LaBarre loved blind students. While achieving great successes as a lawyer, an international treaty negotiator, civil rights leader, husband, and father. He believed that our national and state scholarship programs were key to bringing real opportunity to blind and low-vision Americans. After moving to Colorado to begin his law practice in the early 1990’s he set out to create greater academic opportunities for the blind of the western United States.
The board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado has decided to honor our beloved friend and thought leader by expanding our National Federation of the Blind of Colorado program to include students from our neighbors to the north.
We lost Scott way too young. He was at the pinnacle of his career. He died of a rare blood cancer at the age of 54 years old. We urge you to read more about the life and legacy of Scott C LaBarre. And we strongly urge you to make an application for the Scott C LaBarre Memorial Scholarship.