Among the benefit decorations were 10,000 “Robin Hood” MetroCards, which represented the 10,000 actual MetroCards, each loaded with $33, that arrived this week. They will be distributed to some of the 900 nonprofits that the foundation works with, to get into hands that need the transit fare cards the most. The MetroCards were paid for by the Gray Foundation, founded by Jon Gray, COO of Blackstone, and his wife, Mindy.
Money for Kindergartners, Spendable on College
Every kindergartner in public school in New York City got something new this year: a college savings account with a balance of $100. By the time high-school graduation arrives in the 2030s, the average account is projected to be worth $3,000. That’s not enough to cover college tuition, but there’s research pointing to other important benefits. Even a small amount in a dedicated college account appears to enhance the chances that a student will stay in school and go to college.
Genetic Testing Saves Lives. So Why Aren’t More Women Of Color Doing It?
Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania are leading the charge to provide life-saving cancer screening tests for minority women—and Latinas in particular. Testing for the BRCA gene mutation can transform outcomes for women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. But Black and Latinx women aren’t getting tested at the same rates as white women. Studies have repeatedly shown that women of color are less likely than white women to be recommended for genetic testing by their doctors, and those who are advised to test meet numerous barriers to entry.
Seeding Accounts for Kindergartners and Hoping to Grow College Graduates
New York City is giving every public school kindergartner a college savings account. Roughly 70,000 students are receiving a college savings account with $100 already invested and the potential to receive up to $200 more. The establishment of a program by the largest school system in the country is the latest governmental endorsement of accounts meant to use modest investments to help set every child on the path to education beyond high school.