Scholarships
Smiles of Hope Scholarship
Please click here to download the Smiles of Hope scholarship application form (PDF).
Although there are many dental benefits to orthodontics, perhaps some of the greatest benefits are the improvements to self-esteem and self-confidence a beautiful and healthy smile creates. Drs. Klein and Cook have witnessed and participated in thousands of smile transformations during their careers. It is rewarding to see all patients’ smile transformations, but perhaps some of the most rewarding are for those recipients who have great need but lack the means to address those needs. Dr. Klein and Dr. Cook have taken the opportunity to provide smile transformations for a number of patients in this situation, on an individual basis, who would not have been able to receive orthodontic treatment otherwise. As rewarding as these opportunities can be, there are an inherent number of limitations providing this kind of service without an organized program. These limitations include only being able to look at one individual’s circumstance at a time, not having a specific protocol or system in place, lacking the ability to distinguish those with true needs, and lacking the ability to contrast varying levels of financial and orthodontic needs, which would ensure that those with the greatest needs are served.
For several years, Drs. Klein and Cook evaluated programs that could help eliminate the limitations they faced. However, the programs they investigated were not a good fit for one or more of the following reasons: they did not meet all the potential needs of the recipients, they were burdensome to administer, they were exclusive to specific organizations, or they were costly for providers to join. The kind of program Dr. Klein and Dr. Cook were looking for simply did not exist.
Drs. Klein and Cook believe that for an orthodontic scholarship program to be successful in a long term, a partnership needed to be developed with an existing local organization outside of their orthodontic practice. In May of 2009, the Smiles of Hope Scholarship Program was conceptualized and founded by Drs. Klein and Cook. The goal of this program is to overcome the limitations of providing orthodontic scholarships to children in need by creating a partnership between Klein & Cook Orthodontics and the local Rotary Clubs in the communities they serve.
Drs. Klein and Cook have main offices located in the county seats of Jefferson, Marion, Williamson, and Jackson counties. Since their patients come from the cities these practices are located in, as well as from the surrounding areas, Drs. Klein and Cook believe that a regional scholarship for each county works best for their scholarship program. With this in mind, a partnership with the Rotary Clubs in the communities where their offices are located, has been formed. Four scholarship programs have initially been implemented in Jefferson, Williamson, Marion, and Jackson counties.
Program Details:
The Rotary Clubs in Jefferson County, Marion County, Williamson County, and Jackson County have formed a program partnership with Klein & Cook Orthodontics. Each of the participating Rotary Clubs utilize existing committees, or have established new committees as they see fit, to administer the program in their respective counties. The Smiles of Hope selection committee for each county will review applications twice yearly and identify one scholarship recipient, each time, who meets financial criteria. Klein & Cook Orthodontics will determine the candidates' current orthodontic needs, severity of their need, and their overall oral health. Smiles of Hope scholarships will be awarded twice yearly by each Rotary Club, for a total of eight scholarships per year. Scholarship candidates will be screened in January and August.
Applicants can download an application on the Klein & Cook Orthodontics website or the Rotary website of the county where they reside.
The applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. Applicants must have resided in the county one year or longer.
2. Applicants must be between the ages of 10 & 18.
3. Applicant's parents must have a combined income that is lower than 150% of the Federal poverty level. If the applicant qualifies for free or reduced school lunches, they may be eligible.
A complete application will contain the following:
1. A current photo.
2. Age and locator information (i.e. phone number, e-mail, address, etc.).
3. Paragraph written by the applicant about how the scholarship will benefit them.
4. Two letters of recommendation (preferably from a dentist, teacher, clergy, etc.).
5. Verification of parent’s income in the form of the previous year’s complete tax returns (including W-2, etc.). Current paystub or other pertinent financial information must also be made available upon request.
6. Agreement that the application and photos become the property of the scholarship program committee and will not be returned to applicant.
7. Signed consent to use the names and photos of the scholarship recipient for professional presentations and to announce the recipient on Klein & Cook Orthodontics and Rotary websites.
All applications need to be mailed to the local Rotary Club. Applications will be considered active for one calendar year and will then be inactivated thereafter. Applicants may reapply as many times as they wish.
The committees will contact Klein & Cook Orthodontics with the contact information of the scholarship candidate. Klein & Cook Orthodontics will then invite the candidates to come for a screening as soon as possible. Complimentary orthodontic records will be taken on these candidates and reviewed to determine their current orthodontic need (i.e. would benefit from treatment within the following 12 months), the severity of their need, and to ensure an adequate level of dental health is met (i.e. lack of adequate oral hygiene, or severe dental decay would make a candidate ineligible for treatment). After the screening has been completed, Klein & Cook Orthodontics will advise the committees if the candidates are eligible. The scholarship program committees will then award the recipient of the scholarship for their county once their financial and orthodontic needs are verified. If the initial candidate in a county is deemed ineligible due to orthodontic need or dental health, the appropriate committee will be contacted to submit a second candidate. Candidates will remain in the applicant pool until their application is inactivated one year after its submission.
Klein & Cook Orthodontics will contact the recipient of the Smiles of Hope Scholarship to make treatment arrangements. Treatment will begin as soon as any needed dental treatment is completed and the patient is deemed ready for treatment. The scholarship recipient has one calendar year from the time the scholarship is awarded to begin treatment. If the scholarship recipient is not ready for treatment for whatever reason, or does not have necessary dental work completed in time to begin treatment during the following calendar year, the scholarship will become invalid. The scholarships will only include current orthodontic needs (i.e. either current phase treatment needs or full treatment), one set of retainers, and one year of post orthodontic retainer supervision. Any other future orthodontic needs will be offered at the current treatment fee at the time they are required. This includes replacement of lost or broken retainers, retreatment of orthodontic relapse, subsequent phase treatment, or follow-up orthodontic needs.
Drs. Klein and Cook are pleased to have the opportunity to be involved in such a worthy cause that will make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of all who are involved in the Smiles of Hope Scholarship Program.