Sometime around the middle of June, just before the end of the school year up here in Canada, my children, especially the girl-child, starts to talk about—BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING! It always makes me laugh, but it’s the truth. Shopping for things like knapsacks, pencil cases and the latest gel pens is an event my daughter looks forward to well before it is necessary. Emily doesn’t even talk about clothing or shoe shopping until mid August, but the school supplies are discussed over and over again. Now that my son is older, these things are on his mind as well. After all, grade two has it’s specific needs, right? 🙂
My children are fortunate. We can afford to take them to the mall to get a few items that they need for school, within reason of course. But many families do not have the luxury of spending their hard earned dollars on things like a new gym bag or a 20 count bag of number 2 pencils. While having these things is not mandatory for a successful school year, it can hinder a child’s progress and make them feel self-conscious. Thankfully there are programs out there to help, like the National Backpack Program run by the Office Depot Foundation. Returning for it’s 16th year, this amazing program helps children all around the world get the tools they need to have a prosperous school year.
This year the Office Depot Foundation will donate 200,000 beautifully bright and boldly patterned sackpacks to schools, agencies and non-profit organizations across the United States and internationally. Each draw-string style sackpack holds a zippered pouch containing a pencil, pen, eraser, pencil sharpener, six-inch ruler and four crayons to help children step into a new school year prepared to work. 🙂 And, by the end of 2016, Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation will have given away more than 4 million backpacks and sackpacks since the National Backpack Program began in 2001!
We believe that every child should have the opportunity to go to school with dignity and hope,” says Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong. “For most children, the first day of school is an exciting time complete with new clothes and back-to-school gear. But for kids in families where money is tight, the experience can be just the opposite. The sackpacks and school supplies we donate help to level the playing field and give these wonderful children a reason to stand just a little bit taller.
To learn more about the National Backpack Program check out the Office Depot Foundation’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/
What is a good memory you have from your school days? I used to love our visits to the library; it was my happy place. ♥
FT&PD
Suz
I love going to the park at the end of the year and enjoying fun times with my friends before we split up for summer
My favorite school memories were playing hooky with friends.
I used to like the sports like softball and skating when I was in school.
That is really cool. I love that such relevant programs exist to help kids. I’d never heard of the National Backpack Program from the Office Depot Foundation – I just started following them on twitter and facebook to learn more! THanks for sharing!!!!
I loved school and enjoyed learning well apart from languages, I was never very good at French, Latin and German. My proudest and most enjoyable moment was when I failed my German exam and could approach my teacher and say that even though I wasn’t good in German I was very good in math – I had in fact passed the exam he just couldn’t add 🙂
This is such a wonderful program hope it continues