NATIONWIDE — Every summer, parents nationwide get ready for the upcoming school year by purchasing necessary school supplies. However, a whopping 92 percent of classrooms have students with families who can’t afford many of the basics, according to AdoptAClassroom.org. 

Families are feeling stretched by inflation, forcing some to choose between buying new clothing, putting food on the table, or paying rent and utilities. 

Many teachers are also being pinched, with 96 percent already spending money out of their own pockets (an average of $860 each year) to help their students by purchasing necessary classroom supplies.

Preparing for this coming school year could be even more challenging, due to the rising costs of goods that are required for any classroom. For example, the cost of pencils is up 40 percent, and the price of a ream of paper is up 60 percent. These expenses—for families and teachers—are likely to reach an all-time high this summer. 

Mission-driven partnerships working to help

Nonprofit organizations and corporations are recognizing these challenges and working together to help make a difference for teachers and students. Over the last two years, for example, Subaru of America, Inc. has focused its Subaru Loves Learning® initiative on a partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, which will support more than 470,000 students nationwide with school supply donations by this summer. This ongoing collaboration has been able to provide teachers across the country with flexible funding to purchase more of the supplies they need to help their students thrive. 

The impact of social good

The success of this initiative and many more are being recognized by Engage for Good’s annual Halo Awards, North America’s highest honors for corporate social impact initiatives engaging consumers or employees. The awards celebrate programs that blend brand purpose and social impact to build a better world and bottom line.

The Subaru Loves Learning initiative, in partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, was recently recognized with the Gold Halo Award in the Best Education Initiative category. 

The efforts have so far have funded 5,699 classrooms across the U.S.—with 100 percent of the funding going to high-needs schools. 

High need is defined as a school that has a Title I Schoolwide Program and/or a school where 40 percent of the student population qualifies for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

The initiative not only provides tangible items, but it also helps to make teachers feel appreciated and supported as professionals, boosting their morale—which can help make the difference between a teacher continuing to teach or leaving the profession. 

It also gives students equitable opportunities to succeed in school, regardless of their family’s financial means.

“When you give under-resourced children new supplies, you make them feel valued, build their confidence and ease the mind of their parents,” added Bethke. “Education is foundational for strong, healthy communities and gives children a pathway out of generational poverty.”