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Astoria Houses Community Scholarship Celebration 2021: Honoring the Children of Our Neighborhood
Education NYCHA Resident Associations Top Story 

Celebrating Children’s Futures

LaToya

The Astoria Houses Resident Association accomplished a first-of-its-kind feat for a resident association when it raised $184,000 to invest in the college funds of 184 kindergarten, first, second, and third grade students living at the development.

“We want every single one of the children living in our community to know that they can achieve anything they set their minds to,” Astoria Houses Resident Association (RA) President Claudia Coger said. “Education opens doors to tremendous opportunity. Our youngest need to know that they have a whole neighborhood behind them cheering them on. It is my hope that this investment from our community will make a significant impact in the years to come.” 

Led by the RA President Coger and supported by local parents, schools, businesses, and elected officials, the community scholarship fund raised enough money to deposit $1,000 into the college savings accounts of Astoria children enrolled in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program.  

“We are blown away by the vision and leadership of Ms. Claudia Coger and the Astoria Houses Resident Association,” NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ said. “They are demonstrating exactly how communities can come together to invest in and show support for their children, from a critical early age. The Save for College Program is an innovative and effective platform for communities to build individual and community assets, and we look forward to partnering with NYC Kids RISE to bring the platform to other NYCHA communities.”

The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program provides every student in School District 30 in Queens enrolled in a participating NYC public school, starting in kindergarten, with a NYC Scholarship Account that is invested in a 529 college savings plan to make college more achievable and accessible. 

group of children and adults

“Ms. Coger and the Astoria Houses Resident Association have been leading and fighting for decades so that Astoria Houses can be a springboard of opportunity for the children that live there. This campaign is just the latest example of that,” said Debra-Ellen Glickstein, Executive Director of NYC Kids RISE. “One of the underpinnings of the Save for College Program is the connectivity within and across communities. Our children will be successful when we recognize our collective responsibility to them and one another. This effort epitomizes this ethos.” 

Astoria Houses Resident Association President Claudia Coger and NYC Kids Rise Executive Director Debra-Ellen Glickstein co-hosted the virtual celebration for the community scholarship. (Photo taken pre-COVID.)

More than 10,000 rising first, second, and third grade students have NYC Scholarship Accounts through NYC Kids RISE, including approximately 600 children from Astoria, Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Houses. NYC Kids RISE is in its fourth year in School District 30 and hopes to expand the program to reach all NYC public school students. 

To mark the success of the community scholarship campaign, NYC Kids RISE and the Astoria RA recently hosted a virtual celebration on Facebook Live. The event featured a children’s book read-along; a tap dance performance by Omar Edwards & Co.; college and career panel for parents; and messages to the children from Astoria Houses residents, community leaders, educators, elected officials, and more.

Before the event, children from Astoria Houses received a goodie bag with a copy of Superheroes Are Everywhere by Vice President Kamala Harris. The book was read aloud by members of the Astoria RA’s Executive Board: Ms. Coger, Pauline McCaulla, Stephanie Jackson, Teresa McKinney, and Almeda Rodman.  

The Astoria Houses Resident Association Executive Board read Vice President Kamala Harris’ children’s book, “Superheroes Are Everywhere.”

There were many inspirational messages to the children of Astoria Houses, including from local elementary school principals; Dr. Philip A. Composto, Community Superintendent of District 30; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris; Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney; Assembly Member Cathy Nolan; Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, co-founder of Urban Upbound and Senior Pastor of the Center of Hope International; and Sideya Sherman, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity and NYCHA’s Executive Vice President for Community Engagement & Partnerships. Actress Idina Menzel, known to children as the voice of Elsa from Frozen, sang part of the famed “Let It Go” song. 

Watch the celebration on the Facebook page of NYC Kids RISE.

To learn more about NYC Kid RISE, visit NYC Kids RISE.