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Resources
for Community Members

A central tenet of the Save for College Program’s approach is that the ecosystem in each neighborhood  impacts a child’s likelihood of attending and graduating from college and career training. This ecosystem includes their home, their school, their after-school program, their religious or spiritual home, the local financial institutions, community organizations, commercial corridors, community centers, their neighbors, their 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. 

On this page, you will find tools and resources that have been developed for different community members across Save for College Program neighborhoods and communities.

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.

Before diving into each tool:

  • Review the Engagement Playbook to learn more about how to use each toolkit below.
  • Review our Communications Guidelines to understand how to leverage the associated promotional materials we have also provided.  Also included are a set of Save for College Program Partner Logos and Stock Images for your use:

 

1:1 Family Orientation

 

This toolkit helps organizations identify participating parents/guardians, introduce the Save for College Program to parents/guardians, answer questions, and move them to action, tailoring the conversation to the families’ needs and questions.

1:1 Family Orientation – Remote Adaptation

Talking Points

Guide to Educational Materials

Journey Planner

Choose the Right Account Tool

1:1 Family Orientation – Promotional Materials

1:1 Family Orientation – InDesign Packages

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.

College Visit – Remote Adaptation

College Visit Planning Checklist

Campus Map

Scavenger Hunt

Family Checklist

Cost & Types of College Presentation Cheat Sheet

Cost & Types of College Handout

College Visit – Promotional Materials

College Visit – InDesign Packages

Read-a-Thon

 

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.

Read-a-Thon – Remote Adaptation

Read-a-Thon Planning Checklist

Read-a-Thon Q&A

Pledge Letter

Champion Worksheet

Clock Worksheet

Scoreboard Poster

Scoreboard Individual Sheet

Read-a-Thon – Promotional Materials

Read-a-Thon – InDesign Packages

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.

Tax Time Planning Checklist

Splitting the Refund Conversation Guide

Splitting the Refund Instructions

Tax Time – Promotional Materials

Tax Time – InDesign Packages

 

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Every child in our community should have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. The Save for College Program empowers our families and our whole community to make these dreams more attainable for all our children.
Claudia Coger, Annie Cotton Morris, and Carol Wilkins - Resident Association Presidents, Astoria Houses, Woodside Houses and Ravenswood Houses
What a great program. With this opportunity college becomes a reality, not just a dream. Our district is very lucky to have this for our kids.
District 30 Parent/Guardian

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