Dear Save for College Program Parents and Guardians,
This month finds us celebrating and honoring many significant holy days across the cultures and traditions of Save for College Program community members. Earlier this month some of us celebrated Passover, others gathered to celebrate Easter, and just today, many of our community members are in their first hours of fasting as part of the holy month of Ramadan. School District 30 is one of the most diverse school districts across this entire nation, and we are reminded this month of how that diversity makes us special, and brings us together through a common commitment to connection, kindness, and learning.
Unfortunately, this month has also presented us with a number of stark reminders of the terrible injustices that so many of our communities of color continue to face. The past several months saw an uptick in the violence perpetuated against AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) communities across the country (including here in NYC), and just this week we have witnessed another young Black life, Duante Wright, taken through unjustifiable police force. All this on top of a year of such loss; and one that has made it difficult, if not impossible, for communities and loved ones to gather in close proximity for healing.
I hope that during these times each of you is able to take the space you need with your support networks across the communities of School District 30: to reflect, rest, heal, and to ultimately work toward a more just and equitable day ahead.
In the meantime, as I do every month, I want to share a couple of upcoming events designed to provide information and resources that may be helpful to you and your families:
- Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccination on Thursday, April 15: Now that all adults over the age of 16 are eligible to receive the Coronavirus vaccine in New York State, our monthly Virtual Town Hall will feature doctors and public health experts from the Save for College Community who will share important facts about the vaccines and how to best access them.
- April Workshops – Choose the Right College Savings Account for Your Family: Next week, the NYC Kids RISE team will host Choose the Right Account workshops in English, Spanish, and Bangla. If you missed this workshop in February, here is another chance to learn about the two kinds of college savings accounts that you can connect to your child’s NYC Scholarship Account.
Please remember to visit our events page to learn more about all of our events, and to sign up to participate. With warm wishes,
Debra-Ellen Glickstein
Executive Director
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NYC Kids RISE stands with Asian American & Pacific Islander communities in condemning last month’s horrific act of anti-Asian misogyny and violence in Georgia which took the lives of 8 people.
As we mourn the loss of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim and Yong Ae Yue, we also acknowledge the violence that has been inflicted upon AAPI communities across the country and here in New York City. Almost 3,800 anti-Asian racist incidents were reported in the United States last year, the majority directed towards Asian women. New York City saw a 9-fold increase in anti-Asian hate crimes reported in 2020 compared to the previous year.
NYC Kids RISE is committed to standing up to violence against AAPI communities, whether it be physical, ideological, or economic. We are grateful to the members of our community who lead and stand beside us in this important work, both historically, now, and in the months and years to come.
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FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY ARE ACTIVATING THEIR CHILDREN’S NYC SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNTS!
Did you know that more than 1,200 families have activated their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts this Spring? They each earned $25 for their children’s accounts. That means that families in the Save for College Program received over $30,000 so far this year!
There are still more than $1.4 MILLION in scholarship rewards waiting to be claimed by families in the Save for College Program. If you know someone with a child in Kindergarten – Third Grade, ask them if they have completed the Building Blocks yet! You can help them earn more money for their child’s future.
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MONTHLY VIRTUAL TOWN HALL THIS THURSDAY 4/15 AT 6PM:
CORONAVIRUS VACCINES AND COMMUNITY HEALING
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On the third Thursday of every month, please join NYC Kids RISE for our virtual town hall series, featuring local community experts sharing useful information for elementary school families.
With vaccine-eligibility expanding week by week, we are bringing together experts from across the city and the Save for College community for a conversation about the COVID-19 vaccines and community healing. You will hear from our own local experts at Elmhurst Hospital, as well as representatives from City government’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who will talk about how and why to get the vaccine when you’re eligible, and other support resources available to the Save for College communities as we all work to adjust to a new normal.
**This month’s Town Hall will be held in Spanish**
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Featuring:
- Special remarks from Council Member Francisco Moya – NYC Council District 21
- Jessica Gutierrez, MHC-LP – ICS – Tailored Engagement Lead, Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness, NYC Department of Health
- Dr. Maurice Policar – Chief of Infectious Diseases, Elmhurst Hospital
- Maria Angela Soto, MPH – Director of Community Health Promotion, NYC Department of Health
Moderated by NYC Kids RISE Senior Project Manager Jackie Matos.
Save the Date! Next month’s Virtual Town Hall will be held on Thursday, May 20.
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SPRING 2020 VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES
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Throughout the Spring, 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 exist, and how the Save for College Program fits into funding college and career training costs; and
- Explore the college savings account options available to families through the Save for College Program.
All workshops will be held in English and Spanish, with some workshops available in Bangla. Visit nyckidsrise.org/events to see the full calendar and RSVP for a workshop.
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Join NYC Kids RISE and your child’s school for a two-part workshop series geared towards families of students with disabilities:
General Information Session (English)
In this 45-minute session, learn about NYC Kids RISE and the basics of the Save for College Program. We will discuss who is eligible, how the program works, and how you can earn more money for your child’s educational future by completing the Three Building Blocks. Throughout the session we will highlight information for families of students with disabilities that may affect how you participate in the program.
Choose the Right Account for Families of Students with Disabilities (English)
This 1-hour Choose the Right Account workshop has been updated with key information for families of students with disabilities. Experts from the New York State Comptroller’s Office will conduct a presentation about NY ABLE accounts, a type of savings program designed for people with disabilities and their families.
Then, NYC Kids RISE staff will share information about the two account options that can be connected to your child’s NYC Scholarship Account through the Save for College Program – the NY 529 Direct Plan and the Amalgamated Save for College Bank Account. We will discuss the requirements for opening each type of account and making your first deposit. You will be able to ask questions to understand which account will best fit your needs.
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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.
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At this virtual workshop, parents and guardians will hear more about the college savings options from NY 529, Amalgamated Bank, a Financial Coach and/or other parents and guardians who have experience opening these types of college savings accounts. Each expert will discuss the basics of their savings option, share their experience with savings for college, provide tips and answer questions.
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GIVE THE GIFT OF COLLEGE SAVINGS
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Ramadan begins this week! NYC Kids RISE wishes a happy Ramadan to all, and a safe and easy fast to everyone observing.
You can also ask family and friends to put money aside as an alternative to providing your child with a gift. It’s easy to have family members contribute with Ugift® – they can securely give money to your child without accessing any of your account information:
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Log into your NY 529 account at nysaves.org and click “Share Ugift® code and view history of gifts”.
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Share your 6-digit Ugift® code with friends and family who want to deposit to your child’s account.
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To deposit, visit ugift529.com, enter the code, and click “Give a Gift.” You will see your child’s name and the account holder’s name.
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Next, select an amount and follow the instructions to make a deposit.
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Have questions about activating and using Ugift®?
Call the NY Saves hotline at (877) 697-2837
The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program is a scholarship and savings program administered by NYC Kids RISE, Inc., a nonprofit, in partnership with the NYC Department of Education and the City of New York. NYC Kids RISE is neither affiliated with, nor an authorized distributor of, New York’s 529 College Savings Program and does not solicit investments or provide investment advice. The City of New York and the NYC Department of Education offer no endorsement or recommendation about, and do not control, own or are affiliated with the program manager for New York’s 529 College Savings Program and any particular college savings or other investment vehicle, including ones which families may learn about through the Save for College Program.
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ICYMI: RANKED CHOICE VOTING TOWN HALL
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In last month’s Town Hall, we were joined by Karen Wharton from Rank the Vote and Aarati Cohly from DemocracyNYC for a presentation about Ranked Choice Voting. If you missed it, you can watch the replay on our Facebook and Youtube pages.
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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 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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