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February 2020 Newsletter

Posted on: February 24, 2020

Dear Friends,

We recently celebrated a major milestone for the Save for College Community: more than 10,000 kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders across School District 30 now have college and career savings accounts for their future.

Over the past few months, we saw the Long Island City neighborhood come together to raise additional funds for their students, adding to the more than $1.5 million that NYC Kids RISE and the community have invested into students’ NYC Scholarship Accounts to date. We saw our partners on the New York City Council call for expansion of the Save for College Program to other NYC school districts based on the successes in District 30. We also saw our District 30 school partners launch the first-ever NYC Scholarship Month to engage every family in their school’s college- and career-going culture using these accounts.

Take a look at these updates and more below, and please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Debra-Ellen


Monthly Feature

Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza; City Council Members Daniel Dromm, Francisco Moya, and Jimmy Van Bramer; the Gray Foundation; and NYC Kids RISE Announced Save for College Program Milestone of Supporting 10,000+ Students with College Savings Funds, and Voiced Support for Program’s Expansion

During a standing-room-only family event at The Ruby G. Allen School – P.S. 148 Q, families of the third cohort of participating NYC public school students activated and viewed their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts. Students also participated in a lesson about their dreams for their future and the importance of college and career training, in the context of the Save for College Program Financial Education Curriculum. Read more about this event in our press release.


By the numbers…

  • 95% – Eligible K and 1st grade students have an NYC Scholarship Account
  • 10,000+ – K, 1st and 2nd grade students now enrolled in the program, including 3,400 new students
  • $1.6M – Total deposited by NYC Kids RISE & the community into students’ scholarship accounts to date, including Community Scholarships
  • $410K – Raised in Community Scholarships by local organizations, large corporations and community members
  • $1.4M+ – Collectively saved by families in their own 529 or bank savings account since linking to the program
  • 53+ – Events hosted by schools during NYC Scholarship Month to support families to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts
  • 528 – Families who attended “My Kid is Going to College” workshops and other NYC Kids RISE-led events in fall 2019
  • 180 – School teachers, secretaries, parent coordinators, PTA leaders, and others who participated in a Save for College Program professional learning session in fall 2019

Spotlight

Long Island City, Queens Community Raises More than $57,000 to Jumpstart College Savings Funds for Students at Five Schools

As a result of this community effort, 942 kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students from five Long Island City schools – P.S. 76, P.S. 111, P.S. 112, Growing Up Green Charter School, and VOICE Charter School – each received an additional $60 in their NYC Scholarship Accounts. Read more about how this community came together to support its students.


Words From A Parent

“Es una gran oportunidad para por lo menos tener algo reservado para ellos, para que se ayuden ellos monetariamente e iniciar sus estudios más adelante cuando cumplan 18 años”.
“It is a great opportunity to at least have something reserved for them, so that they may help themselves financially and start their post-secondary education later on when they turn 18.”


🎤: Edwin Flores, P.S. 148 PTA member and parent of a first-grader in the Save for College Program



Happenings Across the Community


NYC Scholarship Month Across District 30

This January was the first-ever NYC Scholarship Month in District 30 Queens. All month, schools across the district led events and activities to support families to activate and view their NYC Scholarship Accounts as a way to enhance their school’s college- and career-going culture. After activating their accounts, families added to their school’s Money Tree to celebrate their school community’s collective efforts to build their college and career funds. Pictured here is P.S. 361’s Parent Coordinator Ms. Erica Cacioppo with two parents and the school’s Money Tree poster.

School Leadership Team Meetings and School Community Trainings

At School Leadership Team (SLT) meetings and on-site School Community Trainings this fall, the NYC Kids RISE team presented to and provided professional development for key school stakeholders as they prepared for their NYC Scholarship Month events. From parent coordinators, principals, teachers, and secretaries, to PTA leaders, school aides, and community partners–partners throughout each school community came together with NYC Kids RISE to strategize on how to engage more families in their school around the Save for College Program and advance college and career readiness across their schools. Pictured here is P.S. 111’s School Leadership Team and NYC Kids RISE at their November SLT meeting.

“My Kid Is Going To College” Workshops

Throughout the fall, NYC Kids RISE partnered with each participating school to host interactive workshops about the types of higher education, funding sources, and how elementary school parents can start preparing now. Based on feedback from families, each of whom has their own experience or lack of experience with the higher education system in the United States, NYC Kids RISE created these workshops to equip every family with foundational information. Pictured here are parents at P.S. 151 during an interactive exercise of the “My Kid is Going to College” workshop.

College Fair at Sunnyside Community Services

Sunnyside Community Services, a Save for College Program community-based organization partner, recently held a college fair for families in their P.S. 150 after-school program. The fair included information about local colleges, an interactive workshop, and support for families to activate their NYC Scholarship Accounts. Thanks to Citi Community Development, Sunnyside Community Services is part of a learning community of organizations across District 30 using the Save for College Program as a tool to support families.

Citizens’ Committee for Children Policy Breakfast

At this year’s Citizens’ Committee for Children annual Board and Advocacy Council Policy Breakfast, NYC Kids RISE Executive Director Debra-Ellen Glickstein presented about the Save for College Program’s history, successes and learnings to date, and vision for citywide expansion. Pictured here is NYC Kids RISE’s Debra-Ellen Glickstein and Murray Abeles with Citizens’ Committee for Children Executive Director Jennifer March.

January 2020 Save for College Family and Community Dinner

At the January 2020 Save for College Family and Community Dinner, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Consumer & Worker Protection and NYC Kids RISE board member Lorelei Salas spoke to families about the importance and power of building wealth through the Save for College Program as a way to empower students and avoid student debt–especially for immigrant families like her own. Pictured here is Commissioner Salas with PSA 9 President Stephanie Chauncey at Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement in Long Island City.


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Small steps to big college dreams

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[email protected]

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 and career training 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.

Founding support provided by the Gray Foundation.

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