With first day of school just around the corner, there’s still time to be a part of A Gift for Teaching’s Ready for Back-to-School campaign and help local students begin the new year feeling excited and prepared to learn.

Earlier this summer, community partners and hundreds of corporate volunteers came together to take part in The Great Big Backpack Build, a high-energy event with a powerful purpose. In just over one hour, an incredible 25,000 backpacks were individually packed with school supplies.

Each of these backpacks, filled with essentials such as notebooks, pencils, markers, and folders, are on their way to more than 140 of the highest-need  public schools in Orange County, as well as schools in Osceola County. For Walker Middle School, and many others like it, these backpacks are filled with more than supplies. They are packed with a sense of belonging, confidence, and class preparedness.

But it’s not just students getting ready for back-to-school.

A Gift for Teaching’s Free Teacher Supply Store is also reopening for the new school year. Eligible public school teachers can schedule shopping appointments to access free classroom materials and teaching tools to turn their empty rooms into engaging learning spaces. Because of generous community donations, the Free Teacher Supply Store remains open all school year to continue empowering educators with the support they need, at no cost.

This initiative really helps our students. It helps our school community, specifically for parents who have multiple students returning back to school. They know they have this resource here and we are grateful for it.

A Gift for Teaching helps our teachers get supplies they need for their classroom, for their instruction, for special projects. It has sustained our teaching community for quite some time and they love A Gift for Teaching. They really appreciate it.

– Walker Middle School Principal

Success starts with the right tools – for students and teachers.

When you support A Gift for Teaching, you’re telling a future leader that you believe in their potential AND you’re lifting the financial burden teachers often carry to ensure their students have the supplies they need to succeed.

By becoming a Classroom Hero, you’ll make this impact last far beyond back-to-school. Your ongoing monthly support will help keep our shelves stocked with essential supplies all year long—so every student can stay excited and prepared to learn.

Join today and be the reason a classroom is ready for success every month!