Since the spring of 2023, Queens’ Koeppel Auto Group has donated $20 from every car sale they made at their five Queens locations to the NYC Scholarship Accounts of students at P.S. 148Q, the Ruby G. Allen School, in East Elmhurst.
On Tuesday, Apr. 16, it was announced that more than $130,000 was donated by Koeppel Auto Group through their “Koeppel Kares” initiative to the NYC Scholarship Accounts as part of the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program.
The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program is a wealth-building platform designed to help make college and career training more accessible and achievable to local public school kids in New York City. Community Scholarships are a key component of this platform, allowing for local businesses, organizations, neighbors and other institutions to direct and raise funds for students’ educational savings by leveraging local resources to build financial wealth in and with communities that have historically faced systemic barriers to wealth-building.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting milestone for the Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship. Alongside our recurring contributions to the college and career scholarship accounts of students at P.S. 148 Queens, we have been so happy to see our customers and Koeppel Auto Group team members get involved too by making their own personal donations,” Koeppel Auto Group Director Susan (Sami) Lacher said. “The Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship builds on our collective support of P.S. 148Q students through several impactful initiatives with Principal Yolanda Harvey and her amazing team. It’s up to us as neighbors and the community to support all our children throughout their educational journeys so they can have a well-balanced, successful life and tangible assets to pursue their dreams.”
Koeppel’s initiative marks the first recurring commitment to a Community Scholarship through the Save for College Program. These financial contributions go towards future college and career training for the K-5 students at P.S. 148Q. Nearly 600 students at the school have benefitted from this so far.
“Community Scholarships send a powerful message to children in our school that their community believes in them and is planning far ahead so they can reach their goals and be whatever they want to be when they grow up,” P.S. 148Q Principal Yolanda Harvey said. “Here at P.S. 148Q, our current kindergarten through fifth-grade students already have more than $190,000 across their NYC Scholarship Accounts to support their college and career dreams. We are so excited for students and families to continue seeing the money in their NYC Scholarship Accounts grow with the ongoing contributions from the Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship. I want to thank Koeppel Auto Group and the Koeppel Kares initiative for their support and for their investment in our students’ futures!”
The Koeppel Kares initiative demonstrates how communities can utilize the Save for College Program to raise funds. Additionally, it shows how local businesses can provide support for the kids in their communities. The Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship highlights the auto company’s commitment to the educational futures of these students while also underscoring the collective expectations of students’ success within the community.
“At the heart of Community Scholarships is the idea that students and families are not alone on their journey toward their college and career goals,” NYC Kids RISE Founding Executive Director Debra-Ellen Glickstein said. “A regular contribution from a local business like Koeppel serves as a model for other local businesses by demonstrating how they can tangibly support the college and career futures of students in their communities.”
Since the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program first began in Spring 2023, over $190,000 has been accumulated by students attending P.S. 148Q across their NYC Scholarship Accounts through rewards and Community Scholarships. In addition to Koeppel Kares, other initiatives benefitting these students include the Seamless Community Scholarship, the Community Scholarship Powered by Metlife Foundation and the Superintendent Philip A. Composto Community Scholarship.
“Every month, we are so excited to see more money being added to my son’s NYC Scholarship Account for his college and career training through the Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship,” said Maria Vega, the parent of a P.S. 148Q second-grade student in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. “This support from the community for his future means a lot to our family and sends a powerful message to students and families across our school that we believe in their dreams.”
As of Apr. 16, over 200,000 students across New York City have nearly $30 million invested in their NYC Scholarship Accounts for their educational futures.
