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Community Members

A central tenet of the Save for College Program’s approach is that the ecosystem in each neighborhood impacts a child’s economic opportunity. This ecosystem includes one’s home, school, after-school program, religious or spiritual center, local financial institutions, community organizations, commercial corridors, community centers, neighbors, employers (as they get older), and the belief systems that are shared within and across these institutions about the student, the family, and the community at large. These ecosystems look and operate differently in each community.

This page provides tools and resources that are designed to support community members in leveraging their unique assets, institutions, and traditions to visibly and tangibly support their children’s educational and economic futures.


Community Based Organization (CBO) Toolkits

In collaboration with Emerald Isle Immigration Center, Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement, Queens Community House, Make the Road NY, Sunnyside Community Services, and Urban Upbound, NYC Kids RISE has developed a set of tools and resources that make it easier for community based organizations (CBOs) to use the Save for College Program to advance their missions- whether that includes running after-school programs, offering job readiness and career training, providing financial counseling and tax preparation or building community through advocacy and organizing – to empower families to build financial assets and reach their educational and economic goals. In particular, these tools can help CBOs:

  • Contribute to a college- and career-going culture among participating families and in their neighborhoods, fostering community-wide support for every child’s educational future
  • Educate families about the Save for College Program and its benefits.
  • Help participating parents/guardians complete the three Building Blocks and save regularly in the context of their overall financial health.

For quick access to each toolkit, click on the links below:

College Visit

This toolkit helps organizations orchestrate a college visit that engages parents/guardians and children with the college experience. Exposing Save for College Program participants to the look and feel of college at an early age can help participants and their families start to identify as college and career-bound.

Read-athon

This toolkit helps CBOs plan and host a Read-a-Thon, which is a fun and educational way for children to gather support from friends, family, and other champions in their community for their college and career training future. This tool includes support and resources for completing the foundational steps in the Save for College Program.

Tax Time

For organizations that provide free tax preparation services, this tool helps to incorporate information about the Save for College Program and splitting tax refunds into your workflow. Tax time provides a key opportunity for families to save for their child’s college and career training and earn rewards through the Save for College Program by allocating part of their tax refund to their college savings account.

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