Studies show that 94% of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies. Further, these studies also show that teachers spend an average of $500 per year to help kids whose families just can't afford the required materials. The Kids In Need Foundation's Supply a Teacher Box Grants program is dedicated to empowering educators with direct funding to conduct innovative learning experiences.
The Foundation works to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. The purpose of the grants program is to provide a donation of in-kind materials for classroom teachers who have innovative, meritorious ideas or who want to replicate a project previously funded. Your project may qualify for funding if it makes creative use of common teaching aids, approaches the curriculum from an imaginative angle, or ties nontraditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities.
2015 funding accomplishments of the foundation can be seen at https://www.kinf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/KINF_Accomplishments2015.pdf.
Since 2016, A.C. Moore has awarded over $95,000 in teacher grants in partnership with the Kids in Need Foundation.
SupplyATeacher.org provides teachers with a large box filled with a semester's worth of essential school supplies. Individuals and groups may make donations to their preferred teacher's box to give the most critically needed items to the teachers most in need across the country. Find teachers at https://supplyateacher.org/teachers.
Eligible applicants must be a preK-12 certified teacher working at a public, private, charter, or parochial school in the subject of the project. In additional, at least 70% of the children enrolled in the teacher's school must receive free or reduced lunch.
Teachers may fill out applications at any time. Once their box is fully funded, the teacher will receive a large box filled with enough core school supplies to last for at least one semester.
Each Supply A Teacher Box Includes: Pencils, pencil pouches, folders, notebooks, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, and pens. We also include additional items such as crayons, markers, highlighters, loose-leaf paper, and colored pencils based on the grade level.