A new program allows public school alumni to give back — by raising or donating money that will go directly into the college and career savings accounts of third graders at their alma maters.
Among those taking part: SUNY Chancellor John King. Before he was the chancellor, or the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President Barack Obama, King was a student at P.S. 276 in Canarsie.
“It was a hugely important place in my life,” he told NY1.
When King was an 8-year-old fourth grader, his mother passed away. He lived with his father, who was very sick.
“Home was incredibly difficult and scary and unstable, and school saved my life. Being able to come here to be in a classroom that was full of joy and excitement around learning in a community where I felt loved and supported — it made all the difference for me,” he said.
Now, King is helping to make a difference in the lives of the school’s current third graders — by establishing a Public School Alumni Community Scholarship at P.S. 276. It’s a way to build on the NYC Kids Rise Save for College Program, which gives nearly every public school kindergartener a college savings plan with $100 in it.
Any alumni can set one up — as long as they commit to contributing at least $5 per third grader at their old school.
“You can write your own check, you can leverage your network and raise money from your friends and family, or you can go to your employer, and then you will send us the check and we will ultimately deposit that into the accounts of the third graders at that elementary school,” Debra-Ellen Glickstein, the founding executive director of NYC Kids RISE, said.
Donations will be matched. King declined to share how much per student he was donating. But combined with donations from other alumni at the school, and the match, the program expects each third grader at P.S. 276 will have at least $80 added to their accounts.
“By making these contributions very early in students’ education, there's an opportunity for the money to grow, and also for their parents to contribute as well to these college funds. This is a very smart program,” King said.
For King, it’s also an opportunity to nurture the school that nurtured him. Allan Osterweil taught him for three years, including that difficult year in fourth grade. What King learned helped inspire his career, which began as a social studies teacher.
“I guess it was The New York Times and his report on the Soviet Union that did it,” Osterweil said.
“That's right. We read The New York Times every day in Mr. Osterweil’s class. We learned the leaders and capital of every country in the world. And so I do, I do attribute my passion for social studies to things that we did in class,” King said.
Alumni who’d like to create a scholarship at their alma mater — or anyone who wants to donate to an existing scholarship campaign — can learn more here.