First-Year Teachers Stock up on Needed Supplies

First-year teachers already have a lot on their minds. Buying classroom supplies, decorations, office products, and books for an entire school year shouldn’t add to their concerns.

With back-to-school season officially upon us, Crayons to Classrooms (C2C) hosted the second annual First-Year Teacher Shop in partnership with Wright State University (WSU) College of Health, Education, and Human Services. On Tuesday, July 30th, 55 Wright State University graduates who have accepted teaching positions in area schools, filled shopping carts with free supplies for their first classrooms. This partnership with WSU allows new teachers to collect needed items, at no cost to them, before they ever step foot into their classrooms. Several WSU faculty and staff volunteered to support their former students, help them shop, and congratulate them on securing jobs.

Many recent graduates have expressed the challenge of having to buy essential supplies out of their own pockets. With the school year starting in August, it’s tough to secure a temporary job during the short window between graduation and the first teacher workday. These teachers feel the financial burden of upcoming student loan payments, personal needs, filling a classroom, and supporting future low-income students.

The event distributed a total of $57,114.05 in free product, with each teacher walking away with an average of $1,038 in free supplies. The goal of this partnership with WSU is to provide support and supplies to local first-year teachers as they enter into such a vital profession. The Reynolds and Reynolds Associate Foundation generously awarded C2C a grant that supports the First-Year Teacher program. C2C looks forward to expanding this program to partner with other local universities and support even more new teachers.

Check out WSU’s video HERE to witness the excitement of the teachers at the event and discover the tremendous impact that free supplies have on first-year teachers.