Assembly Member Larinda Hooks, P.S. 127 Principal Carmen Montas, School District 30 Family Leadership Coordinator Marco Dominguez, P.S. 127 parent and Special Education Teacher Nataly Londoño, P.S. 127 parent and School Based Support Team (SBST) Social Worker Sherlyn Gomez, and P.S. 127 Parent Coordinator Lincia Hamilton. Photo by Kat Klopp for NYC Kids RISE.
Jan. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello
In honor of NYC Scholarship month, P.S/I/S 127Q Aerospace Science Magnet School in East Elmhurst hosted a workshop on Jan. 16 to celebrate the school’s achievement of being among the 282,000 public schools that have more than $42 million invested in a 529 direct plan for college.
Parents are often advised to open a 529 college savings account as early as possible, and thanks to the school’s ongoing commitment to guiding families in planning for their children’s future, they have now joined the 90,000 students in Queens who have collectively invested nearly $14.6 million in education savings across the borough.
“We had a wonderful event today with about 50 families,” said Carmen Montas, Principal at P.S 127. “Most of them activated their children’s accounts and learned about opportunities through the Save for College Program. “We have the unique opportunity to start talking to our students from the time they are three and four years old about their plans and careers.”
Assembly Member Larinda Hooks, who represents District 35, which includes Corona, LeFrak City, East Elmhurst, and Rego Park, attended the event alongside Principal Carmen Montas, Parent Coordinator Lincia Hamilton, and School District 30’s Family Leadership Coordinator Marco Dominguez.
The event featured a presentation on the Save for College Program, which provided parents and guardians with step-by-step guidance on activating and accessing their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts. The presentation also emphasized the importance of early financial planning for education, encouraging families to take practical, budget-friendly steps toward their children’s academic and career goals.
P.S. 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School parents celebrate the opportunity to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts during the school’s NYC Scholarship Month celebration and workshop for parents and guardians with NYC Scholarship Accounts through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. Photo by Kat Klopp for NYC Kids RISE
NYC Kids RISE, a nonprofit organization that helps families build financial assets for their children’s future education, provides an opportunity for students to begin saving for college from an early age. Through its Save for College Program, the initiative offers participating families a NYC Scholarship Account with an initial $100 investment, giving them a head start on long-term savings.
“The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program has been amazing,” said Hamilton. “I’ve seen parents get very excited when they previously thought there was no hope. They tell me, ‘There’s a lot of money to send my kid to school,’ and I guide them to start taking small steps to big dreams.”
To help families maximize their savings, the program offers workshops and events where parents can learn about additional opportunities to grow their child’s account. Families can also earn up to $175 in rewards by completing key milestones, such as activating their scholarship account, opening a personal college savings account, and making their own contributions.
A P.S. 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School school team member supports a parent to activate her child’s NYC Scholarship Account online at nyckidsrise.org/activate at the school’s NYC Scholarship Month celebration and bilingual, English-Spanish workshop. Photo by Kat Klopp for NYC Kids RISE (January 16, 2025)
The NYC Kids RISE program has also provided outreach tools and digital and print materials to help students and their families succeed. The combined effort of the program and the school’s leaders has helped encourage over 840 students at P.S 127 to invest nearly $150,000 so far.
“Everyone investing in the Save for College Program is investing in your child’s ability to go to college and have whatever career they dream of having—this is the first step,” said Hooks.
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