Give & Take: Ways to Support this Back to School Season

As another summer comes to a close, just like that, the back-to-school season is now upon us. While a new school year can be filled with excitement, this time of year can also be quite stressful for some families. The rising costs of school supplies and educational materials leaves many educators, parents and students with uncertainty heading into the 2022–23 school year.

In our ever-changing world, the needs of students and schools continue to shift. We feel that back-to-school should be a community effort. To make switching from vacation to hitting the books easier on everyone, we’ve identified five ways to make life easier once that school bell rings.

1. Donate to non-profits that help children in school. Back-to-school season can be financially difficult for families to provide for their students. Organizations such as Feeding America and DonorChoose allow you to provide lunches and classroom supplies for schools across the country.
2. Support a teacher’s classroom. 96% of teachers purchase school supplies with their own funds so their students don’t go without. You can help support these educators through programs like AdoptAClassroom.org or asking the teachers in your life if they have an Amazon classroom wish list to see exactly what items they and their students need to succeed. (Many of our own Prosekians have educators in their lives so feel free to reach out to those around you!)
3. Gather your own school supplies. According to the National Retail Federation, a caregiver will spend on average $790 on back-to-school supplies. For some families, this can be very challenging. If you’re able to spare an extra dollar on your next Target or Walmart run, try picking up an extra binder, notebook, or pack of pencils to put together a backpack for a fellow student who needs one. You can also make a difference in the everyday products you buy. Try looking for Box Tops on well-known food brands to collect and donate to your local schools.
4. Volunteer at a local school. You can also volunteer for after school activities, tutoring sessions or school clean up events. Working with organizations like Story Mentors or Get Ready Set to help school-aged children become more confident readers. A little one-on-one time with a student can really help master the skills they need.
5. Be an open ear to those you know in the education department. If we have learned anything from the pandemic, educators, parents, and students are nothing short of resilient. Sometimes just being someone to talk to can be the best way to show support during a difficult time.