California Scottish Rite Foundation Receives Statewide Public Service Award
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The California Scottish Rite Foundation has been recognized with the Public Service Award from the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA), honoring the Foundation’s impact in expanding access to speech-language therapy and professional training programs across California.
The award was presented during the CSHA annual banquet in San Francisco on March 14. It recognizes individuals and organizations whose contributions significantly advance communication sciences and services throughout the state.
For the California Scottish Rite Foundation, the recognition reflects decades of work supporting children with speech and language challenges through its RiteCare Childhood Language Centers and university partnerships.
Supporting Children and the Next Generation of Clinicians
Through partnerships with university speech and hearing clinics, the Foundation helps ensure that children receive critical speech-language services while graduate students gain hands-on clinical training.
At Fresno State’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, Foundation support has enabled improvements that directly affect both families and students preparing to enter the profession. Funding has helped modernize clinical equipment, expand therapy materials, and support operational needs that keep services accessible to families.
Those resources also allow students in speech-language pathology programs to work with updated tools and evidence-based materials as they deliver therapy in the community.
Faculty members note that these resources elevate the quality of clinical education and allow future speech-language pathologists to gain meaningful experience serving children with communication disorders.
Expanding Access to Care
Across California, RiteCare programs supported by the Foundation provide therapy to children who might otherwise face barriers to care. Many families served by these programs lack insurance coverage or the financial means to access private therapy services.
Through these partnerships, children receive individualized speech-language therapy while universities strengthen their ability to train the next generation of clinicians.
The ripple effect is significant. Graduate students develop the skills needed to enter the profession, communities gain trained specialists, and children receive early intervention that can dramatically improve communication, learning, and confidence.
A Community-Driven Effort
Foundation leaders credit the award to the collective work of volunteers, clinicians, educators, and donors who support RiteCare programs throughout California.
“This is truly an incredible honor for us,” said Art Salazar Jr., President of the California Scottish Rite Foundation. “It reflects the dedication of our speech-language pathologists, our university partners, and the volunteers whose support allows us to provide life-changing services for children and families.”
Creating Lasting Impact
The impact of these programs extends beyond individual therapy sessions. Scholarships and clinical partnerships supported by the Foundation help students complete their graduate education and enter the field of speech-language pathology.
Many graduates remain in the communities where they trained, providing care to the same regions and families that first supported their education.
The result is a sustainable cycle of service: support for education strengthens clinical training, which in turn expands access to care for children across California.
Continuing the Mission
Recognition from the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association highlights the importance of collaboration between philanthropic organizations, universities, and clinicians working together to address childhood communication disorders.
For the California Scottish Rite Foundation, the mission remains clear: expand access to high-quality speech-language therapy and empower children with the communication skills they need to succeed in school and in life.
Through RiteCare programs and partnerships across the state, the Foundation continues to pursue that mission by providing services that change lives and strengthen communities.
