Impact Scholarship
DESIGN FOR GOOD
$12,000 Impact Scholarship
Now in its second year, Cascades Academy is excited to offer a Design for Good: Impact Scholarship to numerous students committed to cultivating engagement, building community, and inspiring goodness.
The scholarship empowers exceptional Cascades Academy high school students to pursue advanced studies and community impact. Awarded to rising 9th graders, the scholarship strengthens our school’s vision, mission, and values by fostering deeper learning and academic exploration beyond the standard curriculum and developing leaders dedicated to making a positive difference.
As an Impact Scholar, students will be part of a cohort of solutionaries who design and complete a community impact project. The four-year experience equips them with a curriculum that deeply integrates academic content through honors projects, cultivates leadership skills within a peer context, and enhances community partnerships through co-leadership and collaborative design efforts. This progression shifts from individual initiatives to team-based projects, leading to a lasting bond with the community and a meaningful contribution that extends beyond their high school years.
Participating students earn advanced credits on their Mastery Transcript, a distinguishing designation for their college application.
Eligibility
- This scholarship application period is for students entering 9th grade in Fall 2025
- Prospective students are required to apply to Cascades Academy
Timeline
- Monday, November 10, 2025: Application opens - scroll down for application form
- Priority Deadline:
- Friday, February 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM: Application deadline
- Late February 2026: Application review
- Early March 2026: Selected students participate in a comprehensive interview with the scholarship committee to discuss their project proposal and its potential impact project
- Mid-March 2026: Priority scholarship recipients announced
- Standard Deadline:
- Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM: Application deadline
- Early May 2026: Application review
- Late May 2026: Selected students participate in a comprehensive interview with the scholarship committee to discuss their project proposal and its potential impact project
- Early June 2026: Scholarship recipients announced
Scholarship recipients will receive $3,000 toward tuition each year for four years. Students must successfully complete program requirements to qualify for annual scholarship renewal.
Please contact Director of Enrollment Buck McKenna at mckenna@cascadesacademy.org with any questions.
2024-2025 Cohort
Envision Bend Executive Director Matt Muchna meets with the Impact Scholars
This year, our Design for Good: Impact Scholars program offers an immersive experience that blends purpose-driven learning with real-world impact. Through the Wayfinder curriculum, students are exploring questions of purpose, resilience, and community responsibility — essential tools for creating meaningful change. At the heart of this experience is a partnership with Envision Bend, where students are working on a youth-focused tourism project aimed at fostering positive interactions between young visitors and the local community, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. This project isn’t just theoretical; it’s a hands-on opportunity for students to develop leadership and problem-solving skills as they work on a cause that directly impacts their community.
Our students are taking this project even further by connecting with local organizations, including Visit Bend. They’re getting an inside look at current youth tourism strategies and brainstorming how their ideas could shape a new guidebook or even appear on Visit Bend's website. These partnerships make the learning experience come alive, as students see how their efforts can make a tangible difference. By collaborating with local leaders and applying their skills to real-world issues, our Impact Scholars are building a strong foundation for lifelong learning, community engagement, and meaningful action beyond the classroom.
In February, the Impact Scholars traveled to Stanford University for an immersive experience in innovation and design thinking. Their visit included time at the renowned d.school, where they explored creative problem-solving techniques, as well as campus tours that offered a glimpse into college life at one of the world’s leading institutions.
Engaging with experts and experiencing Stanford’s dynamic environment firsthand, students returned inspired to apply new ideas and fresh perspectives to their own projects and future aspirations.