10 Illinois teachers can win school supplies for their students
Back 2 School Illinois, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides tens of thousands of deserving kids from low-income families with free school supplies to help them succeed in the classroom, has announced the launch of its 2021 We Appreciate Teachers contest. The statewide initiative is designed to celebrate and support Illinois educators, particularly during COVID-19, by rewarding 10 winning teachers with 30 Back 2 School Illinois kits - full of much-needed school supplies - for their classroom of students. The winners will also receive personalized gift baskets for themselves and a salon treatment at Dennis Bartolomei.
Anyone can submit an application on behalf of a teacher, including the teacher himself/herself. The teacher must be currently employed by a school in Illinois.
To participate, complete the online We Appreciate Teachers contest application available at b2si.org/we-appreciate-teachers-contest, or print out and complete the application form, and then mail it in to B2SI. All applications must by completed no later than Sept. 24 and include an essay (ranging from 250 to 500 words) explaining how the nominated teacher goes above and beyond to positively impact their students' lives. Winning teachers will be notified by Oct. 1.
"During these challenging times, teachers have had to work even harder to make sure their students stay connected and are learning," Back 2 School Illinois CEO Matthew Kurtzman said. "With our campaign, we are celebrating the creativity, resourcefulness and going above and beyond that teachers have had to do to provide Illinois schoolchildren with an education during COVID-19."
The Back 2 School program was launched in 2007 by the Community Currency Exchange Association of Illinois to address the pressing needs of communities and the inequities in educational opportunities for children. In 2015 the nonprofit changed its' name to Back 2 School Illinois to reflect the work of the organization.
Today, B2SI is the largest free school supplies program in the state, serving children of low-income households and lessening the financial burden for their families. The Back 2 School program has provided more than 279,000 children with their own school supply kit since its inception. The organization's long-term goal is to provide the more than one million Illinois children from low-income families each year with the school supplies they need to succeed in the classroom.
In the summer of 2018, B2SI launched Back 2 School America, which is aimed at providing Back 2 School kits to children across the United States.