Latest news with #NYCKidsRise
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Organization helps raise $42 million for college funds for NYC students
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Going to college can be very expensive, but now public school students across New York City are getting some needed financial help thanks to a program. There was a huge celebration about the alumni's contributions to that fund near City Hall, as a quarter of a million NYC students have college funds to help make their dreams happen. More Local News PIX11's Monica Morales first met Debra-Ellen Glickstein, the Founding Executive Director of NYC Kids Rise, in February 2021 at the Astoria Houses. Now, thanks to Glickstein's hard work, what started in one school district has blossomed. The program has grown to more than 280,000 New York City elementary school students with NYC Scholarships, with $42 million accumulated for their futures. The idea is simple but revolutionary. Every kid gets an initial $100, and then families can take some additional steps to earn additional rewards into the scholarship account. Superintendent Jennifer Joynt of Community School District 8 says the program is a game changer. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Last year, NYC public elementary school alumni started a new special effort called the NYC Public School Alumni Community Scholarship to help raise money for students currently attending their school. There are already nearly 100 Alumni who have led campaigns and sent messages of support to students, and as a result, nearly 6,000 third graders across 79 school communities will be receiving a NYC Public School Alumni Community Scholarship. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
NYC Kids Rise lets public school alumni invest in college scholarships for elementary school students
NEW YORK — New York City public school graduates are giving back by contributing to scholarship funds for current students. It's through NYC Kids Rise, a program designed to make college more accessible and affordable. What is NYC Kids Rise? Every New York City public school student between kindergarten and third grade already has an NYC Kids Rise scholarship account with some money already there. On top of that, parents can contribute to college savings, allowing that money to grow over time. "Every kid will get an initial $100 and then families can take some additional steps to earn additional rewards into the scholarship account. They can also open up their own account and they can begin to also put their own money into that account," said Debra-Ellen Glickstein, Founding Executive Director of NYC Kids Rise. It's a 529 savings plan, and the program is able to match the community's contributions to double the scholarship amounts. Last month, city leaders announced that 280,000 public school students have more than $43 million already invested in these accounts, with plans for the program to expand. "I am a principal, but I have a kindergartner who entered kindergarten this year, so this helped us understand that it's basically just a starting place for our youngsters and just giving them a chance and understanding that college is attainable for them," said Florentine Ulysse, Principal of P.S. 221. Parents can access and activate their children's scholarship accounts here. "I really don't want any obstacle to be in their way" Dr. Tischelle George walks down the halls of P.S. 221 in Crown Heights. It's a walk down memory lane for the Brooklyn native, now an adjunct professor at NYU and Vice President at the New York City Housing Authority. She spoke with current third graders at a recent visit about her time at the school, and came with an announcement: she managed to raise $3,000 to contribute to their scholarship accounts through NYC Kids Rise. "I really don't want any obstacle to be in their way, certainly not a financial obstacle to keep them from pursuing their dreams of college or a career in the future. So starting at a young age is really the best thing that we can do as a community to let students know that the whole community is really behind them and rooting for them to succeed," George said . The investment in their futures is inviting students to get creative. "I want to be an astronaut and a lemonade salesperson," said 8-year-old Anthony Sylvester. "I want to run my own business so I can make a lot of money," said Said Henieph, who is in third grade. "I want to be a computer science expert," said their classmate, Elijah Deane. "You don't have to just wait until you get older to save up. And you could just start college any time with the amount of money you already have."
