I grew up in a small town and went to the local K-12 public school. I only had 19 students in my graduating class. Yes, you read that right, 19 students. Over the years the population has continued to diminish and the class sizes are even smaller, which of course means even less government funding. On top of that 60% of students receive subsidized lunches because of the economic challenges in the community.Growing up I missed out on music classes, art classes, foreign language classes, you name it because the school didn’t have enough funding to cover anything but the basics.
The strain this puts on the school’s teachers is enormous. They are underpaid, overworked (some are teaching two grades at once), and they are subsidizing their classroom expenses out of pocket. In America, these aren’t uncommon issues for teachers to face, and they aren’t only small town school problems. The Education Market Association has estimated that 99.5 percent of all public school teachers use their own money to equip their classrooms, frequently at a cost of more than $400 per year.
To address this issue and to continue to build on its long-standing commitment to supporting education, Staples has partnered with DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose.org is a charity that has helped more than 18 million students across America by funding over 700,000 classroom projects for teachers. Staples has donated $1 million dollars to DonorsChoose.org’s important mission and is encouraging customers to make their own donations by visiting a local Staples store or StaplesForStudents.com. Katy Perry has partnered with Staples to spread the word and to help get teachers what they need for this upcoming school year. In an interview about the partnership Katy Perry said “I believe in education as a foundation for a great life, so I want to make sure that students across the country are inspired by their teachers and afforded every opportunity to realize their dreams.”
Check out Katy Perry’s video below:
Win a $50,000 Scholarship and Chance to Meet Katy Perry!
Staples is offering a great sweepstakes in an effort to continue to promote education. The grand prize winner will win a $50,000 scholarship plus a trip for two to Los Angeles to meet superstar, Katy Perry. On top of that, four first prize winners and one guest each will also win air travel to Los Angeles, two nights stay and spending money to meet Katy Perry at the VIP Winners Celebration. For entry, customers who spend $25 or more in any Staples store will receive a unique entry code on their receipt to enter the sweepstakes online at StaplesForStudents.com. Entries must be submitted by September 10 and entrants must be 13 years or older. Visit StaplesForStudents.com for official rules.
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR STAPLES – Global pop star Katy Perry discusses the importance of supporting teachers during the #StaplesForStudents press conference on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Los Angeles. Continuing its long-standing commitment to celebrating and supporting teachers through the Staples for Students program, Staples teamed up with Katy Perry to announce a $1 million donation to DonorsChoose.org, a charity that has funded more than 700,000 classroom projects and impacted more than 18 million students across the U.S. (Photo by Casey Rodgers/Invision for Staples/AP Images)
Click here to help teachers and make a donation today!
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