As students and teachers prepare to go back to school, the St. Johns County Education Foundation is asking the community to help collect the supplies students and teachers need to succeed.
St. Johns County Education Foundation Inc., which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), in partnership with the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, The Bailey Group and the St. Johns County School District, will host a Stuff the Bus collection drive at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.
Community members are invited to “stuff” new school supply donations onto the school bus in the parking lot of the Amphitheatre. Donations will support public school students and teachers at schools across St. Johns County. In addition, members of the school district’s transportation department will be on site to promote the benefits and opportunities of being a bus operator.
Each summer, INK! and community partners host the annual Tools 4 Schools countywide school supply drive to help teachers and students prepare for the school year. Tools 4 Schools is a community-based classroom supply initiative that provides classroom supplies to teachers and students throughout the academic year, reducing out-of-pocket expenses for educators and providing teachers and students with the tools needed for success in the classroom.
“The Tools 4 Schools program launched 15 years ago to provide public school teachers in St. Johns County access to free school supplies for their students,” said Cathy Newman, INK! executive director. “During the 2023 to 2024 school year, INK! staff and volunteers filled and delivered more than 2,200 teacher-requested orders of supplies and educational materials for classrooms in St. Johns County valued in excess of $135,000.”
The Tools 4 Schools program has operated out of The Bailey Group Resource Depot, a permanent location donated by The Bailey Group that provides storage for the supplies collected during summer collection drives and throughout the year. Throughout the school year, teachers can order supplies online through the INK! website; orders are filled and delivered by INK! staff and volunteers to teachers at their schools.
“The Bailey Group Resource Depot has been instrumental in transforming the Tools 4 Schools initiative from an occasional event into a perennial online shop where teachers can obtain classroom supplies,” said Becky Cromwell, senior account manager, The Bailey Group. “It is truly inspiring to witness our community rallying to back our dedicated educators and staff.”
A 2023 Teacher Spending Survey conducted by AdoptAClassroom.org found that teachers nationwide spend approximately $860 of their own money purchasing school supplies for their students and classrooms. The goal of INK!’s Tools 4 Schools program is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for educators while providing the supplies necessary for student success with the goal of serving approximately 52,000 students and 3,200 teachers countywide.
“We are incredibly proud to support the Tools 4 Schools donation drive through the Stuff the Bus event at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market on Aug. 17,” said Dianya Markovits, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre’s public relations director. “This initiative not only highlights the importance of community involvement but also directly impacts the educational experiences of students and teachers in St. Johns County. We look forward to joining our community members in this critical effort.”
Requested Supplies for the 2024-25 School Year:
