Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee Bishop Hezekiah Walker performs at Long Island City’s LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in a benefit concert in support of NYC Kids Rise on Wednesday night. Photo courtesy of Bishop Hezekiah Walker
February 6, 2024 By Bill Parry
Multi-Grammy-award winning Bishop Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir lead a Concert for College 2024 at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center on Wednesday night to raise funds for the NYC scholarship accounts of students at nine Queens elementary schools through Long Island. do. The city-based NYC Kids Rise Save for College program is a community tool New Yorkers can use to build wealth in their neighborhoods and support their children’s college and career dreams.
Photo courtesy of NYC Kids Rise
Led by Center of Hope International, Concert for College 2024 brings together faith, civic, business and community leaders and organizations, government and elected officials, school communities and neighborhoods to demonstrate support for Queens’ children and celebrate the fact that Will bring residents together. Every elementary school student now has an NYC Scholarship account.
The concert for College 2024 at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center will raise funds for Long Island City-based NYC Kids Rise. Photo courtesy of NYC Kids Rise
“Concert for the College is a testament to the community’s dedication to nurturing the next generation,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, senior pastor of Center of Hope International. “It communicates our unwavering belief in the potential of our youth and emphasizes the significant impact we can make as a community when we unite around a common goal. “We encourage all New Yorkers to come out on Wednesday to support our students.”
Photo courtesy of NYC Kids Rise
Building on the success of the college’s inaugural 2019 concert, Concert for College 2024 is a prime example of one of the ways the community is using NYC Kids Rise Save For as a tool to increase financial wealth and strengthen expectations for success. Can use college program. Children of the community. Other performers include the Community School 111 Gospel Choir, Spirit in Motion Dance and the Center of Hope International Prize Team.
Photo courtesy of NYC Kids Rise
“The Concert for College sends a powerful message to our kids that we believe in their future and the power of the Save for College program,” said Debra-Ellen Glickstein, founding executive director of NYC Kids Rise. “This program, launched seven years ago right here in our neighborhoods, is a tool for communities to come together to support their children.”
Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here. All proceeds from the event go to NYC Scholarships for students at PS 17, PS 76, PS 111, PS 112, PS 151, PS 171, Growing Up Green Charter School, Our World Neighborhood Charter School and Voices Charter School through donations through NYC Will go to accounts. Children get up.
“The Concert for College 2024 is a prime example of this in action,” Glickstein said. “I’m thrilled to join the festivities on Wednesday night and can’t wait to hear the Community School 111 Gospel Choir.”
The event begins at 7pm on Wednesday, February 7 at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, located at 31-10 Thomson Avenue. NYC Kids Rise promoted its initiatives across the city during NYC Scholarship Month in January, culminating with a celebration and workshop. Parents and guardians of Kindergarten, first and second grade students at PS 123Q in South Jamaica.
More than 250 students at the school have NYC Scholarship accounts, with more than $32,000 invested in their college and career futures. The event was supported by NYC Council President Adrienne Adams.
Council President Adrienne Adams welcomes parents and guardians to South Jamaica’s PS 123Q at the conclusion of NYC Scholarship Month on January 25. Photo courtesy of NYC Kids Rise
“Preparing our children for their future is a difficult task. Our parents who are here know this, and as a mother and grandmother, I understand that very well,” Adams said. “But it makes it a little easier when there is a community supporting them and their success. When family members, friends and neighbors are all contributing to help that child achieve his or her dreams, it becomes a collective effort.
City officials recently announced that more than 200,000 students across the five boroughs, including 75,000 new students, now have NYC Scholarship accounts, with nearly $30 million invested in their futures. Research shows that a child from a low-income household with only a $1 to $500 college savings account is three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate than a child without an account.
“I have been a longtime fan of NYC Kids Rise and the work you do for students. In fact, bringing these scholarship accounts to scholars in District 28 has been a personal goal of mine for years,” Adams said. “As this initiative continues to grow and reach even more youth in every neighborhood, even more parents and communities will be empowered to save for their children’s future.”
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