CollegeBound Elementary

Creating a citywide college-going culture

As CollegeBound children start elementary school, CollegeBound is here to continue to support you and your child save for the future! CollegeBound Saint Paul is partnerning with elementary schools in Saint Paul to provide opportunities for you and your child to earn bonuses for CollegeBound Accounts, learn about college and career opportunities, and navigate the financial system.

CollegeBound Elementary programming is launching in the fall of 2024 with the first CollegeBound children entering Pre-Kindergarten.

All children in Pre-K at a Saint Paul Public Schools site in the fall of 2024 will have the opportunity to participate in CollegeBound Elementary Programming.

CollegeBound Elementary Focus Areas

Various activities and opportunities of engagement will be offered to students and families each year.

BOOSTING SAVINGS
From Pre-K through 5th grade, CollegeBound students will be able to earn up to $350 in city-paid bonuses through in-school and out-of-school activities and events.

WHOLE FAMILY LITERACY
WealthRise curriculum will be integrated into student’s learning plans and activities will be available for parents/caregivers in community-based education spaces.

COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS
CollegeBound Saint Paul and Saint Paul Public Schools staff will provide grade appropriate CCR activities during in-school deposit days.

What does this mean for me?

Do I need to sign up?

Many children already have a CollgeBound account which was opened for them at birth! If your child was not born in St. Paul or we somehow missed you, we will automatically open an account for your child through a data sharing agreement with Saint Paul Public Schools.

How can I get involved?

Be on the look out for communication from your school about CollegeBound! Expect to see a consent form, communication about field trips and scheduled activities. When you know things are happening at school, ask you child about the events, what they did, and what they learned.
Each school will need a Parent/Caregiver Champion to serve as a liaison between CollegeBound families in the school. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more information.
Looking for something less formal? Volunteer during Deposit Days, talk with other parents/caregivers about the importance of saving and the benefits of CollegeBound. We can never have too many advocates! Reach out to CBEstpaul@gmail.com to get connected.

Which schools will be participating?

Starting in the fall of 2024, CollegeBound Elementary will be in all SPPS elementary schools with Pre-Kindergarten programs. Other SPPS schools will be added as the 2024-2025 Pre-K class continues through elementary school.
CollegeBound Elementary plans to expand to charter, private, and home schools within the City of Saint Paul in future years, dependent on partner interest and support.

Will all my children at SPPS participate?

While we would love to be able to serve all SPPS students right now, CollegeBound Elementary is still in its early phase. Only children who were born January 1st, 2020 or later and/or are enrolled in an SPPS Pre-Kindergarten program in the fall of 2024 are eligible to participate.

What is WealthRise/Literacy?

WealthRise is a curriculum developed by writer, researcher, and wealth justice advocate Chloe McKenzie. WealthRise focuses not only understanding money, but also on the specific challenges and traumas that residents of Saint Paul face when engaging with the financial system.

Who will be implementing this in the schools?

School counselors at each school will take on the role of CollegeBound Elementary School Champions. They will be coordinating deposit days, teaching WealthRise/Literacy curriculum as part of PLPs, and answering any questions you have about CollegeBound Elementary.

If my kid misses an activity, will they still get a bonus?

In an effort to be equitable and be sure bonuses are not tied to a child’s attendance, we will be putting bonuses into the account of each CollegeBound child enrolled at each site after activities have occurred.

How will CollegeBound Elementary Programming be implemented?

The City of Saint Paul worked closely Saint Paul Public Schools to deisgn and structure CBE. In these first years, they will work closely to deisgn and implement the various activities together.

School Champions – Your on-site CollegeBound expert:

School Champions are the school counselors at each elementary site and will serve as the liason between students/families and CollegeBound.
Champions will serve as a point of contact at schools and assist with communications with teachers and staff about coordinating activites related to CollegeBound.
School Champions will be leading CollegeBound lessons in the classroom as part of student’s Personalised Learning Plans.

Parent/Caregiver Champions

CollegeBound will be recruiting several parents at schools to assist with implementation and outreach efforts for CBE. Champions will have one child enrolled CollegeBound and be assist with the CollegeBound Elementary program. Parent/Caregiver Champions will work with School Champions and CollegeBound staff to promote the program to families, keep the school community informed, and help with CollegeBound events. To learn more, flll out the Parent Champion Interest Form for when applications and more information are available.

For questions about CollegeBound Elementary, please reach out to: CBEstpaul@gmail.com