Help to promise a brighter future

To the editor:
To inspire 1,000 families of kindergarten through third grade students to register for a college savings account in just a matter of days takes vision and effort. Jay School Corporation and John Jay Center for Learning will help make college savings a reality for more than 1,000 students as they establish CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings accounts during elementary school registration Thursday and Monday.
The accounts are part of Jay County Promise, a countywide collaborative including school, business and community partners to create a college-going culture. The Promise encourages students and their families to obtain the information and tools necessary to increase access to and success in post-secondary education. Jay County Promise was developed by Jay School Corporation and The Portland Foundation, which now serves as the financial agency for the program.
John Jay Center for Learning will contribute $25 into all new college savings accounts established for kindergarten through third grade students. Currently, only 6 percent of kindergarten through third graders in Jay County have a college savings account. The goal of Jay County Promise is to increase that figure to 70 percent.
During September, “College Savings Month” in Indiana, Jay County students will complete activities in their classrooms to begin to identify career aspirations and understand how education beyond high school will help them achieve success. Students will also invite champions in their lives to invest in their college savings accounts. Jay County Promise hopes to provide a $50 local match from a coalition of public and private partners to the account of any student who raises $25 in champion contributions.
To learn more about Jay County Promise, go to http://www.jaycountypromise.org.
Jeremy Gulley
Director of teacher effectiveness
Jay School Corporation