Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris Joins NYC KidsRISE to Ring NYSE Opening Bell

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris joined NYC KidsRISE to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange today, highlighting the organization’s Save for College Program. Senator Gianaris secured initial state funding for the program’s pilot in western Queens. Photos from the event are available here. Video is available here.

“NYC KidsRISE provides a tremendous tool to ensure more young people receive the higher education and training they need to succeed,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “I was proud to join them for this momentous occasion and will continue supporting their important work.”

Senator Gianaris secured more than $1 million to start a pilot program in western Queens’ School District 30. Because of its incredible success in that area, in 2021 it became a citywide program.

About the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program: Starting in 2021, every kindergartener enrolled in a New York City public school will have access to an NYC Scholarship Account, with $100 invested toward their future education and up to $200 in rewards. The historic expansion of this program will reach roughly 70,000 Kindergarteners citywide, up from over 13,000 students already participating in the program across School District 30 in Queens, which represent 95% of all eligible kindergarten, first-, second, and third-graders.

This commitment was announced as part of the NYC Juneteenth Economic Justice Plan with the Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity. New York City is the first major city in the nation to implement this groundbreaking model for community wealth building that provides ways for stakeholders within each neighborhood and across the city—including schools, CBOs, local businesses, the private sector, and philanthropic organizations— to contribute to asset-building and promote community-wide expectations for students’ success from their first days of school.