Gov. Andy Beshear’s education program donates $500,000 to ONE Lexington

A significant investment was made to Fayette County’s educational system Monday when Gov. Andy Beshear’s office donated $500,000 to ONE Lexington’s Building Bridges to Opportunity program.

The donation came from the governor’s Everybody Counts grant , which helps graduating seniors from participating Kentucky school districts find a pathway to a successful career.

Rocky Adkins, Beshear’s senior adviser, said increasing educational opportunities is a top objective for the administration.

“We are proud in the governor’s office and we’re proud to be here today as Team Kentucky is proud to support the expansion of this special scholarship opportunity in Fayette County,” Adkins said at a Monday news conference.

“By making investments in our young people, especially those who have overcome tremendous obstacles, we are living our faith and values by assuring everybody counts.”

The Building Bridges to Opportunity program will expand the Be the Change scholarship program. Previously the program offered two $10,000 scholarships to Bryan Station High School students interested in pursuing careers in criminal justice or public safety.

Now, there will be two scholarships offered at all six Fayette County public high schools and one scholarship at each of the district’s six non-traditional high schools.

Adkins said applicants must be active participants in career coaching through Everybody Counts, committed to a Kentucky university of college to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field and meet graduation requirements.

Nola Lewis, who won the Be the Change scholarship in 2022 , said she knew she wanted to attend college out of high school but didn’t know how to pay for it. The scholarship gave her the chance to help her community without the stress of financial debt.

“I applied for this scholarship with the encouragement from my mother and my law enforcement teacher and it’s the best thing I could ever have done,” Lewis said.

The program will also provide trauma-informed care services and provide additional programming to support gun violence victims. Carama said some gun violence victims struggle to afford counseling and proper care, and this donation will help families dealing with trauma.

“Our job is to try to remove these barriers so that these young people and these families can continue on with their healing process,” Carama said.

More information about the program can be found on the program’s website .

“The governor is opening doors of opportunity to young people who face real challenges in their lives, and he’s making it possible for them to build bridges to bright futures,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said at the news conference.