Broward County’s Official Back to School Supply Drive Begins July 18th
With more than 65% of students in Broward County Public Schools enrolled in free and reduced lunch programs, the sad reality is many of these young people also don’t have basic school supplies needed to ignite their passion for learning. Lacking in these basic tools often lowers a students’ self-esteem and creates an uneven learning environment for all.
The good news is Broward Education Foundation, a GuideStar approved 501(c)3 and highly trusted community resource, is actively recruiting businesses large and small, educational institutions, chambers of commerce, municipalities and civic organizations to participate in its annual Back to School Supply Drive underway from Wednesday, July 18 through Friday, August 24.
Thanks to the generosity of businesses, organizations and individuals each year, teachers from Broward County Public Schools with the largest need can shop for free school supplies for their students at Broward Education Foundation’s resource center. More than 9,500 students have benefited from the program since its inception.
“We are proud to lead Broward County’s most comprehensive and trusted Back to School Supply Drive which prepares students with the proper tools they need to succeed,” said Shea Ciriago, Executive Director of Broward Education Foundation. “It’s proven that teachers know best what supplies their students need to learn; and our distribution model insures that supplies are distributed to those children who need them the most. Each summer, we enlist the help of business and community leaders to collect classroom supplies to make sure our students are put in the best position to begin the school year.”
New this year, Broward Education Foundation is encouraging companies to challenge each other to see who can collect the most pink erasers.
Among those who are participating this year are: Alorica, BrightStar Credit Union, Broward College/Institute of Public Safety, CBS Interactive, Centennial Bank, CT Corporation System, Dometic Corporation, Florida Atlantic University - Davie Campus, Forecast Trading Corporation, Hamilton Group Funding, Life Extension, Orangetheory Fitness, Ryan LLC, People's Trust Insurance, StevenDouglas, SunTrust Bank, Town of Davie, Tromberg Law Group, UBS Financial Services Inc., USA Self Storage and Zumba Fitness LLC.
In addition to pink erasers, school supplies most needed include 24-pack crayons, glue sticks, 100-page composition books, colored pencils, two-pocket folders, filler paper, pencils and pencil cases. Monetary donations are also encouraged; a $50 cash donation will fill an entire backpack with these items and more for child in need.
To put students in need on the path to success and participate in Broward Education Foundation’s Back to School Supply Drive, to have a collection box delivered and picked up, and to learn more, visit browardedfoundation.org/drive or call 754-321-2034.
Entering its 35th year of service to Broward County, most recently, Broward Education Foundation created https://www.gofundme.com/
About the Broward Education Foundation:
Established in 1983, the nonprofit Broward Education Foundation (BEF) aligns with Broward County Public Schools by providing support for innovative teaching to advance Pre K-12 achievement; critically needed educational materials for Title I school students, and scholarships for qualified high school seniors. Each year, the Foundation contributes more than $3 million to Broward County schools, serving as the catalyst for educational excellence.
