Dear Parents and Guardians,
I’m thrilled to share the very first quarterly NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program newsletter with you. In this newsletter, you’ll find information and stories of how families, schools, and neighbors in the District 30 community are working together to build savings for every child’s educational future. We hope this is a helpful resource for you and your family.
This month, the second class of more than 3200 students and their families were officially enrolled in the Save for College Program! Today, around 95% of all kindergartners and first graders in School District 30 have their own NYC Scholarship Account, and NYC Kids RISE has deposited more than $725,000 in these accounts so far. Over half of participating first grade families have already registered on the Savings Tracker and earned their first reward. And this is just the beginning.
As always, we want to hear from you! Reply to this email with any feedback or ideas about this newsletter or the Save for College Program in general. Or you can email me directly at [email protected]. You can also reach us at 833-543-7473.
We look forward to continuing to work with you this year to help make higher education more achievable for every child in every neighborhood in District 30.
Yours,
Debra-Ellen Glickstein
Executive Director
NYC Kids RISE
Save for College Program Reminders
Earn up to $175 more for your child’s NYC Scholarship Account! These are just some of the next steps in our long-term partnership to save together for your child’s future:
Completing the 3 Building Blocks
- Visit this overview of the 3 Building Blocks to get started.
- Want more information? Visit our online event calendar to find an upcoming Save for College Program event, or call us at 833-543-7473.
First Grade Families: Are You Ready for the Savings Match?
- After you complete all 3 Building Blocks, NYC Kids RISE will match the next $100 you save in your account!
- Visit the Savings Match page to learn more.
Highlights from the Savings Match Announcement Party
In October 2018, the Save for College Program community gathered at PS 76 to celebrate the first full year of the Save for College Program! This was the first of 10 Back-to-School “Building Block Parties” held across District 30. We also announced the new NYC Kids RISE Savings Match reward.
Luisana Santana, PS 76 PTA President and mom to two girls in the Save for College Program, said: “I’m proud to be part of the founding year of the Save for College Program and to be building it alongside this community and building a financial foundation for my girls’ college futures. I encourage every family to make a plan to start saving today, because no amount is too large or too small when you start saving early, make a plan to save regularly, and save together with our community.”
Savings Tips Across District 30 – #D30saves
At each Building Block Party this fall, parents, school staff, and community members shared their best tips for saving.
These are just some of the great savings tips that District 30 shared:
“I save $10 each paycheck towards my daughter’s future”
– Parent at PS 111 Jacob Blackwell
– Parent at VOICE Charter School
“Salvo un poco dinero de mi cuenta de cheques a su cuenta de ahorros. Ese poquito los ayudará, ¡que es lo más importante!”
– Dr. Composto, District 30 Superintendent
“At the end of the week, I try to put all the $5 bills I have in my wallet away for the future.”
Check out our Instagram, @NYCKidsRISE, for more savings tips. Use the hashtag #D30saves to share your own! The Save for College Program is about all of us working together to make sure every child in District 30 has savings for their educational future.
How to Split Your Tax Refund into Your 529 Account and Boost Your Savings
By Gloria Diaz and the Financial Clinic Coaching Team, The Financial Clinic
Tax season has just begun, and now is the time when many families are thinking about their 2019 financial goals. Organizations throughout the city offer free tax preparation for members of the community. In Western Queens, these organizations include The Financial Clinic, Urban Upbound, and Chhaya CDC […]
The Gift of Education – How Family and Friends Can Contribute to Your Child’s Savings for Birthdays and Holidays
By Carmen, First-grade parent at PS 361, the Woodside Community School
My son is a first grader at PS 361, where I would say the biggest holidays he and his classmates celebrate are Eid, Christmas, and Chinese New Year. As parents, we all know that holidays are times of big celebration and also big spending. As parents we probably also know the feeling of January 3, when we see that new toy pushed to the side, already “old news”, and it just makes us wonder, was it worth it? […]
Our Fantastic “Building Block Party” at PS 69
By Marina Mrazovic, Parent Coordinator at PS 69 Jackson Heights
They came, they dined, they played – they even danced!
On Tuesday evening, October 23rd, parents and students from three Jackson Heights neighborhood schools – PS 69, PS 212 and The Renaissance Charter School – gathered together for an evening of camaraderie, education and saving. PS 69, the host school, welcomed them to a Back-to-School Building Block Party, supported by NYC Kids RISE […]
Small steps to big college dreams
Find out how:
833-KID-RISE (833-543-7473)
The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program provides families, schools, and communities with a way to work together to save for their children’s futures. It’s a scholarship and savings program designed to make college more accessible and achievable for all NYC public school students—regardless of their family’s income or immigration status. The Save for College Program is a tool that families, along with their schools and neighbors, can use and customize in the way that best fits into their lives and best supports their dreams for their children. NYC Kids RISE, a nonprofit organization, manages the Save for College Program in partnership with the NYC Department of Education and the City of New York.