Corona elementary students receive $15,000 in community scholarships

From left to right: P.S. 92 Principal Pasquale Baratta, P.S. 92 PTA president Rosa Mar, School District 30 Community Superintendent Dr. Philip A. Composto, College Opportunity Fund Advisor Lisa Cowan, NYC Kids RISE Executive Director Debra-Ellen Gli…

From left to right: P.S. 92 Principal Pasquale Baratta, P.S. 92 PTA president Rosa Mar, School District 30 Community Superintendent Dr. Philip A. Composto, College Opportunity Fund Advisor Lisa Cowan, NYC Kids RISE Executive Director Debra-Ellen Glickstein, P.S. 92 Parent Maribel Aparicio, Councilmember Francisco Moya with P.S. 92 Families and Students during the Parent-to-Parent Community Scholarship Event at P.S. 92.

By Jonathan Sperling

A group of nearly 250 students from a Corona elementary school will benefit from $15,000 in contributions from New York City parents as part of a parent-to-parent community scholarship program.

First and second graders from P.S. 92 Harry T. Stewart Sr. received the contribution, made possible by a grant from the College Opportunity Fund at Brooklyn Community Foundation. The grant puts an additional $60.48 into each of the NYC Scholarship Accounts of 248 students, which will go toward the students’ educational futures through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program.

The Save for College Program, which covers more than 6,600 students across School District 30, is a universal scholarship and savings initiative launched by nonprofit NYC Kids RISE in 2017 with the help of the City of New York, the Department of Education and the Gray Foundation. Each NYC Scholarship Account was opened with a $100 seed investment from NYC Kids RISE. Each of the students automatically receives an NYC Scholarship Account invested in a 529 college savings plan, and NYC Kids RISE and the community have deposited more than $1.1 million into those accounts to date. 

At P.S. 92 alone more than $60,000 in savings have been amassed toward the 248 students’ future college and career training expenses.

“Investing in our children is investing in our future and there is no better way of doing so than supporting access to college and career training for all families, regardless of their immigration status or income. I was proud to join the P.S. 92 community — our Superintendent, school and parent leaders, and students — to celebrate the limitless possibilities for these students,” said Councilmember Francisco Moya.

“As the author of the New York State DREAM Act, which recently went into effect, I am proud to support both of these initiatives to make higher education more attainable and affordable for all New Yorkers. Thanks to support from Lisa Cowan from The College Opportunity Fund and NYC Kids RISE, these P.S. 92 students will know that their communities and people throughout the city are invested in their success,” Moya added.