30 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • APRIL 29, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
30 k TiHdE QsU E&EN Se CdOUuRIcERa • tAPiRoIL n29, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
College savings program for elementary students in
W. Queens public schools receives $70,000 donation
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
More than 1,900 students in kindergarten,
fi rst, second and third grade across
fi ve public schools in Jackson Heights,
East Elmhurst and Corona will receive a
$70,000 investment in their educational
futures through a college savings program.
NYC Kids RISE, a nonprofi t working to
expand economic opportunity and equity
through education savings, and MetLife
Foundation announced the $70,000
investment for the western Queens students
enrolled in the NYC Kids Rise Save
for College Program.
Th e college savings program off ers universal
college savings accounts for all
students from kindergarten to third
grade, regardless of immigration status
or income, by giving parents the option
to create an NYC Scholarship Account
invested in a 529 college savings plan. A
core component of the program is community
scholarships, which enables organizations,
businesses, neighbors and other
institutions to direct funds and fundraise
for students’ educational savings.
Th e students receiving the investment
attend P.S. 329 East Elmhurst Community
School, P.S. 92 Th e Harry T. Stewart
Sr. School, P.S. 148 Th e Ruby G. Allen
School, P.S. 149 Th e Christa McAuliff e
School and P.S. 280.
Margarita Garcia, a P.S. 92 parent with
children participating in the Save for
College Program, said she’s grateful to be
part of the program and of a community
that’s investing in all children.
“Like any parent, I want my child to
know they have the support behind them
to become whatever they want to be when
they grow up,” Garcia said.
In addition to the fi nancial investment,
third-grade students will also receive virtual
college and career sessions to help
them discover their own educational and
professional aspirations. Th e sessions, led
by MetLife employees, will give students
an opportunity to increase their awareness
of the diverse career pathways and
possibilities available to them.
More than 13,000 students in School
District 30 — which encompasses the
neighborhoods of Astoria, Corona,
East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights,
Long Island City, Sunnyside and
Woodside — are enrolled in the
college savings program, which
represents 95 percent of eligible
students in the district.
To date, approximately $6
million has been accumulated
for those students’ college
savings fund.
P.S. 329 Principal
Rachel Staroba-
Hallenbeck said
they’re proud to
be one of the fi rst
schools participating in NYC Kids RISE
Save for College Program.
“Working together with partners across
the community, we now have another tool
to help demonstrate to our students the
many possibilities for their future,”
Staroba-Hallenbeck said. “Far too
many children in our community
grow up thinking that college
and higher education just
isn’t in the cards for them. Th e
NYC Kids RISE community is
doing important
work to change that by helping to shift the
conversation around who is able to save
for college, excel in school and become
the leaders of tomorrow.”
Councilman Daniel Dromm lauded
the program for “breaking
down systemic barriers to educational
and economic attainment.”
“The financial contribution
from the MetLife
Foundation, cou- p l e d
with their
p a r -
Photos courtesy of NYC Kids RISE
ticipation in virtual college and career sessions,
both help to demonstrate the ways
in which local institutions can become
part of an ecosystem of support around
our students and their families,” Dromm
stated. “I urge my colleagues at City Hall
to support the expansion of this lifechanging
model across the fi ve boroughs.”
Councilman Francisco Moya echoed
Dromm’s statement.
“Th is fi nancial investment and these
college and career sessions will better
equip hundreds of families to help their
children realize their full potential and
chart a path towards educational and
professional success,” Moya said. “Th is
is how we support a community that has
been hard hit by COVID-19.”
Th e college savings program was created
in 2017 and is managed by NYC
Kids RISE in partnership with the NYC
Department of Education and the
City of New York, with funding
support from the Gray
Foundation.
“MetLife’s recent investment
paired with college
and career sessions for
third-graders is just the
latest example of how we
can show kids that adults
from every corner of the
community believe in
them and are invested in
their success,” said Debra-
Ellen Glickstein, executive
director of NYC Kids
RISE.
P.S. 92 families participating in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program in 2019.
Margarita Garcia and her two sons in P.S. 92.
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