The Great Big Backpack Build Kicks Off A Gift for Teaching’s Ready For Back-to-School

[Orlando, FL] June 28, 2022 – The Great Big Backpack Build is an initiative of A Gift for Teaching’s Ready For Back-to-School, a three-part community giveback campaign aimed to help local students start the next school year excited and prepared to learn. The build kicked off the campaign with 15,000 brand-new backpacks and school supplies generously funded by local companies and supporters. These essentials were packed together by more than 240 volunteers at the high-energy, high-impact corporate event, and will be delivered to more than 130 Orange County and Osceola County public schools with the highest need in preparation for the new school year this fall.

“Summer is when some things slow down, but it’s when A Gift for Teaching really ramps up,” says Jane Thompson, President of A Gift for Teaching. “More than 70% of schools in Central Florida are considered high-need, and thousands of students will arrive at class with nothing in their hands. The countdown is on to make sure children in our community have the essential supplies they need to learn by the first day of school.”

Having access to essential school supplies, even in a digital learning environment, has a tremendous impact on a student’s participation in their education, their self-esteem, and their interest in learning. Knowing this, teachers often use a portion of their personal salaries every year to buy supplies for their students and classrooms so that learning can occur for all. Together, our community can make a difference and help both teachers and students begin the school year with success.

Starting July 5 through August 10, companies and groups can register to be a part of the Back-to-School Drive initiative, Central Florida’s largest school supply drive. Registered virtual and/or physical supply drives will help stock A Gift for Teaching’s Free Teacher Supply Store with this year’s Top 5 Essentials: dry erase markers, spiral or composition notebooks, markers (8- or 10- count), loose-leaf paper, and colored pencils (12-count).

On August 18, the Back-to-School Telethon will be broadcast live on WKMG News 6 for a special one-day initiative. All donations received will be eligible to be doubled by generous matching funders to provide twice the supplies. Through A Gift for Teaching, every dollar received can provide up to $10 worth of supplies to teachers and students, but for 24 hours, donations will go twice as far to provide up to $20 worth of supplies.

For nearly 25 years, A Gift for Teaching has helped ensure Central Florida students have the tools and experiences they need to succeed each school year. More than $9 million worth of free educational resources were distributed to local educators and their students last year, and one-third of the supplies distributed were collected and raised through A Gift for Teaching’s Ready For Back-to-School. This year, the need is even greater.

With the support of the community and impact partners like Universal Orlando Foundation, the Walt Disney World Resort, The Joe & Sarah Galloway Foundation, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Wells Fargo, Valencia College, and many more, A Gift for Teaching can continue providing free educational resources that empower teachers to inspire future leaders.

To be a part of this mission, visit www.AGiftForTeaching.org/backtoschool for more information about these initiatives to help Get Ready For Back-to-School.

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