Community Support + Staying Financially Healthy Town Hall, Thursday at 6PM

Dear Parents and Families in the Save for College Community,

Since the spring, we’ve partnered with your child’s school, community based organizations in School District 30, and other experts around the City to bring the Save for College Program community together and share resources to help navigate these unprecedented times.

Throughout the fall, we will continue to provide information on the steps you can take today to plan for your child’s future through our workshops, support from your school and our NYC Kids RISE team. We will foster spaces like the Astoria Houses Community Scholarship virtual planning meetings to support students’ college and career training. Tomorrow we will also host our monthly virtual Town Hall: “Staying Financial Healthy in Hard Times,” which will include parents’ and experts’ perspective as well as updated information about the 2020 Census.

Coming up:

Town Hall tomorrow at 6pm: “Staying Financially Healthy in Hard Times: How to balance your bills, spending, saving, and other financial priorities.” Check out the Town Hall section below for more details, and set a reminder to join us on Facebook or YouTube tomorrow evening.

My Kid is Going to College Workshops: Start planning for your child’s higher education from a young age. During this workshop, get information on the types of college education and career training opportunities that exist for students, learn about the cost of college, the resources available to pay for educational expenses, and how the Save for College Program fits. Continue reading to see dates, times and languages for this and other workshops.

Keep scrolling for more details on the events and the latest resources. Connect with us on our social media channels – like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube.

With best wishes to you and your family,

Debra-Ellen and the NYC Kids RISE Team

This Thursday at 6PM

In this time of economic turbulence, many of us are facing challenges to our personal finances–from lost jobs or wages, to struggling small businesses, to unexpected health or childcare expenses. During this session, you will hear from financial experts on how to prioritize your bills and expenses and what resources and relief are available for expenses like student loans, credit cards and utilities. You will get practical tips on how to reduce spending, remove automatic payments, and avoid scams. Finally, we will discuss how to think about saving for long-term goals in this dynamic time.

RSVP Here

Featuring:

Jumaid Abdin – Senior Financial Counselor, Urban Upbound
Jess Brooks – Assistant Director of Financial Counseling and Coaching Programs, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Nadia Landy – Astoria Elementary School Mom
Patricia Roberts – Mom, Education Savings Advocate, and 529 Expert

Special Presentation:

Amit Bagga, Deputy Director, NYC Census 2020

Moderated by Carolina Valencia, Director of Communications and Digital at NYC Kids RISE.

You can watch live and ask questions via the NYC Kids RISE Facebook page. You can also watch via our YouTube channel.

Fall 2020 Virtual Workshop Series

Throughout the Fall, in partnership with your child’s school, NYC Kids RISE is hosting a series of virtual workshops that will help you understand the Save for College Program and its benefits for your child, learn about the types of college and career training that exists as well as how the Save for College Program fits into funding college and career training costs, and finally explore the savings account options available through the Save for College Program.

All workshops will be held in English, Spanish, and Bangla. Visit nyckidsrise.org/events to see the full calendar and RSVP for a workshop.

My Kid Is Going to College

Start planning for your child’s higher education from a young age. At this workshop, get information on the types of college education and career training opportunities that exist for students, learn about the cost of college, the resources available to pay for educational expenses, and how the Save for College Program fits in.

Spanish: Tuesday, October 20 | 9am – 10:15am | Register Here

Bangla: Wednesday, October 21 | 6pm – 7:15pm | Register Here

English: Thursday, October 22 | 10am – 11:15am | Register Here

Choose the Right Account

There are many ways to save for college. How do you choose the right account to fit your family’s needs? At this workshop, you will explore the differences between the two types of account options available through the Save for College Program: a 529 account and a traditional bank savings account.

Bangla: Monday, October 26 | 6pm – 7:15pm | Register Here

English: Wednesday, October 28 | 5pm – 6:15pm | Register Here

Spanish: Thursday, October 29 | 4pm – 5:15pm | Register Here

Save for College Program Information Sessions

An introduction to the Save for College Program for new and returning families. At this workshop, learn how the Program works and how you can earn more money for your child’s educational future.

English: Tuesday, November 3 | 1pm – 2:15pm | Register Here

Spanish: Wednesday, November 4 | 10am – 11:15am | Register Here

Bangla: Friday, November 6 | 9am – 10:15am | Register Here

In Case You Missed It

During this town hall, we discussed how to best support your child as they return to class, whether your family opted for blended learning or 100% remote learning. Topics covered in this town hall include navigating the remote learning resources provided by the Department of Education, speaking with your children about staying safe when attending school in person, helping young students stay on track and engaged when learning remotely, and where to access free activities, educational materials, and other resources to help you and your family tackle the school year.

If you missed it, click here to watch. The first part is in English, with a recap in Spanish in the last 10 minutes.

Your Child’s NYC Scholarship Account

Have you taken the next steps to increase your child’s funds for their educational future?

Your child is one of more than 10,000 students that has an NYC Scholarship Account already with funds for their college and career education. If you haven’t already, take the next step with completing all the Building Blocks and earning the Savings Match to increase your child’s savings by up to $175.

For more information about the status of your child’s participation, please contact our team by calling 833-543-7473 or emailing [email protected].

Your child’s accounts – We continue to be available by phone and email to support you with your family’s scholarship and savings accounts. Please contact us for support with completing the 3 Building Blocks or other support with your accounts. We are invested for the long term in your child’s college and career training future.

Save for College Program Flashback

Two years ago we announced the launch of the Savings Match at P.S. 76. Between first and third grade, NYC Kids RISE will match the first $100 your family and friends save in your connected college savings account. Have you received the full $100 match yet? Log in to Savings Tracker to check your progress.

Did you fill out the Census?

Every New Yorker Counts. Filling out the Census is important for getting money into our community for schools, jobs, hospitals, and more.

Fill it out now at: My2020Census.gov

There are NO questions about immigration or citizenship. Your information is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone—not law enforcement, not the government, not your landlord.

Community Scholarship for the Children of Astoria Houses

Astoria Houses Tenants Organization Launches Community Scholarship Fundraising Effort for Students in Astoria Houses

The Astoria Houses Tenants Organization has launched a fundraising effort to raise $1,000 for each of the 134 students enrolled in the Save for College Program living in Astoria Houses.

To date, the campaign has raised over $117,000! Claudia Coger, President of the Astoria Houses Tenants Organization, writes: “This is not only a real financial foundation that our children can rely on in 10+ years when they graduate from high school and set off on their career path. It is also sending them a message TODAY that their community believes in them and knows they can succeed. With all the fear and pain our children are living through right now, that message is in some ways more important than ever.” Read more from Claudia Coger on investing in the future of the children of Astoria Houses.

Also, if you are interested in launching your own Community Scholarship campaign, please reach out to us. We would be happy to work with you.

Important Resources Across the Community

These are just some of the resources available from schools, community-based organizations, the City and State government, and other local partners. We are keeping an updated list on our blog at nyckidsrise.org/covid-19.

Click on the need you have to see list of resources available.

– NYC Kids RISE Resources

– Remote Learning

– Food Assistance

– Financial Relief

– Utilities

– Small Businesses

– Immigration Rights

– Health and Mental Health

– Childcare

– Housing

– Elected Officials