New Rick Boden Healer at Heart Scholarship
The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is proud to announce the new Rick Boden Healer at Heart Scholarship in collaboration with Massage Envy Franchising, LLC. This scholarship is focused on encouraging students to commit to a program of self-care in their future practices. Launched at AMTA’s annual Schools Summit, Massage Envy will be contributing $5,000 to match AMTA’s student scholarship for a total of $10,000. One lucky student will receive the full amount to help pay the cost of massage school.
All current massage school students are eligible for the award, with an application deadline of May 31, 2019. Students will need to submit an essay on the following: How do you plan to commit to a program of self-care as a practicing massage therapist, and what effect will this have on your ability to help and impact the health of others?
Rick Boden was a massage therapist, educator, Massage Envy franchisee, and beloved member of the Massage Envy Franchising family. The variety of experiences Rick had over his more than 25-year career in the massage therapy profession gave him a unique perspective on what it takes to build a life-long career as a massage therapist. He believed that strong self-care was the foundation to finding long-term success in a profession that can be physically demanding, and that belief led him to develop Massage Envy’s Self-Care Commitment.
This first-of-its-kind program combines therapist education on body mechanics and injury prevention with training for massage franchise owners and managers to build broader understanding of–and support for–the self-care needs of therapists. The Self-Care Commitment launched in the Massage Envy franchise network in 2017, but Rick had a bigger vision. He led a collaboration with AMTA, partnering to make the therapist education component of the program available to all massage therapists and massage therapy students free of charge. To date, through AMTA’s online continuing education channels, 100,000 hours of self-care education have been delivered through this program.
Rick passed away in 2018, but his legacy as a healer and ardent advocate for the massage profession lives on through the Self-Care Commitment and now through the Rick Boden Healer at Heart Massage Therapy Scholarship.
The Rick Boden Healer at Heart Scholarship application is available at www.amtamassage.org/scholarships.
About Massage Envy Franchising, LLC
Massage Envy Franchising LLC, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a national franchisor and, through its franchise locations, is the leading provider of therapeutic massage and skincare services, and proprietary assisted stretching service, Total Body Stretch. The Massage Envy franchise system is, collectively, the largest employer of massage therapists and estheticians, with more than 35,000 dedicated wellness professionals that provide best-in-class service to over 1.65 million members. Founded in 2002, Massage Envy Franchising LLC has more than 1,180 franchise locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 100 million massages and facials.
The American Massage Therapy Association, the most trusted name in massage therapy, is the largest nonprofit, professional association for massage therapists in North America. It is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage.