Equitable

It’s time for Equitable’s annual Classroom Central drive! This year the drive will be 100% virtual

The dates of the drive are July 27 through August 31, 2020

With the current environment, the local students and educators have the largest need for school supplies. That means that we’re not only facing our biggest challenge, we’re also facing our biggest opportunity!

Classrooms of students can no longer share materials, and we’ve learned kids need even more supplies to stay organized at home. Thousands of local families are experiencing new, or worsening, economic hardships and the educators – who already have spent an average of $1,000 on school supplies every year – need our help now more than ever!

Classroom Central is adapting quickly to meet the evolving needs of our students and teachers.

• We're re-engineering our programs. Last academic year, Classroom Central quickly piloted a drive-thru program that distributed pre-assembled bags of supplies to hundreds of teachers via contactless pick-up.
• We're implementing a curbside pick-up program that allows teachers to shop online, then schedule an appointment to pick up their custom order curbside, which will be packed by volunteers. This program will mirror the same breadth and depth of inventory we offer in-person at the Free Store.
• We're converting our Mobile Free Store into an open-air annex of the Free Store for teachers to browse special inventory items, while socially distanced during curb-side pickup appointments. 

Please do not forget donations of $50 or more are eligible for Equitable Foundation's Matching Gift program. The link to the matching gift program is here:

https://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/eg_portal.home?x_gm_id=6044&x_page=matching

Also, don't forget to check the box for the matching gift on the donation page, so that the matching gift will be counted toward your team goal, and Equitable's total donation amount. Whe completing the matching gifts details, please add darden@classroomcentral.org so that he can confirm the donation and ensure the match is included in grand totals.

2019 bragging rights went to the Charlotte Illustration team…who will be the 2020 winner?

The school districts we serve have varying plans for the upcoming academic year.

• Iredell Statesville Schools, Kannapolis City Schools, and Union County Schools are alternating students between in-person learning at reduced capacity and remote learning.
• For the first two weeks, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are alternating students between in-person orientation at reduced capacity and remote learning. Then all CMS students move to remote learning indefinitely after 8/31/20.
• Gaston County Schools and Lancaster County, SC schools have not yet announced plans.

Access to school supplies will be one of teachers’ and students’ biggest challenges this year.  As demand increases, we’ve already seen the supply chains decrease and prices increase. And our educators — who already spend an average of $1,000 on school supplies every year — are teaching from makeshift at-home classrooms without salary increases. This perfect storm of factors has created the largest need for school supplies our community has ever faced. But there’s good news! Research shows that when students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed, they flourish. We have a chance to build equity and make the most profound impact on local students’ social, emotional, and academic performance to date. Let’s create our new normal together.

Classroom Central is pivoting due to the current environment by: 

• We’re tailoring our distributions channels.
• How we’re maximizing our impact: Classroom Central has long valued the importance of collaboration to ensure maximum impact of resources and limited duplication of service, and we’re coordinating with our partners to meet teachers and students where they are now.
• How we’re reaching students: We’re partnering with school districts to distribute 30,000 backpacks filled with supplies on the first day of school, as well as bulk supply kits at Grab & Go meal sites.
• How we’re reaching teachers: We’re expanding our online ordering / curbside pick-up program to distribute supplies directly and safely to teachers.