Florida-based Office Depot partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org to kick off the 2022/2023 school year with a $5K surprise donation to Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar, Florida. The donation was divided equally among teachers so each could purchase classroom tools and materials, without spending their own money, and make sure their students were equipped to learn.
And that wasn’t all. In addition to $5,000, Office Depot gifted teachers some of the most used classroom essentials, items like highlighters, paper, and Expo markers that frequently need replenishment. With classroom basics checked off their wish list, teachers can spend the donation on more enriching materials, including STEM supplies and new books for their classroom library.
“The funds from Office Depot will assist our teachers in providing materials, incentives and supplies that they often would have to purchase out-of-pocket,” said Principal Dorsett at Sunshine Elementary. “In times like these, it’s great to know that there are companies, like Office Depot, reaching out to assist our students and schools when we need it the most.”
The need for classroom donations continues to rise. According to AdoptAClassroom.org’s 2022 Spring Teacher Survey, 96% of teachers reported that rising costs were negatively impacting their classrooms’ access to school supplies. Due to inflation, basic classroom supplies like pencils and paper are up 40% and 60%, respectively, over their cost in 2020.
Due to these factors and others, 80% of teachers reported that families are having a harder time paying for school supplies. When families can’t afford supplies, the burden often falls on teachers and schools to make sure that each of their students have the tools they need to learn.
When a business donates to a school through AdoptAClassroom.org, their support reaches far beyond the school’s walls. Office Depot’s donation helped ease the financial burden placed on teachers and families to purchase school supplies and makes sure students have what they need to succeed in school.
Does your company want to make a difference for teachers and students, and their families, like Office Depot has? Learn more about how you can team up with AdoptAClassroom.org to support classrooms. Whether you want to adopt one school in your community, or many classrooms and schools across the country, AdoptAClassroom.org has turn-key programs to help you.