Elgin Community College Aug. 13 Supply Fair to Provide Backpacks to Students in Need

kanecountyconnects / August 11, 2016 / Comments Off / Communities, Education, Nonprofits, Schools

School District U-46 families are invited to a Back-to-School Supply fair on Aug. 13 at Elgin Community College. U-46 teachers, administrators and staff members donated 58 filled backpacks for the popular annual fair.

backpack_A The event, known as “Project Backpack,” provides students in need with school supplies as they prepare for the upcoming academic year. Before receiving school backpacks and supplies, families visit different agency booths, such as after school programs and resources for family health and wellness, to learn about different social services available to them.

“Thanks to the community and corporate donation, more than 10,000 backpacks have been distributed since 2010,” said Karla Jiménez, U-46 Coordinator of Family & Community Engagement. “The district’s goal this summer was to fill 50 backpacks and exceeding that number truly speaks volumes as to what one community can do to better prepare our students with tools to start a successful school year.”

The district office sponsored a school supply drive from Monday, July 11, to Thursday, July 14, to benefit Project Backpack. The U-46 staff collected more than 58 gender-neutral backpacks filled with:

6 folders
4 spiral notebooks
1 pack of loose leaf paper
1 package of pencils
2 black pens
1 pair of scissors
2 glue sticks
1 ruler
1 pack of crayons

Back to school supplies will be distributed at Elgin Community College on a first-come, first served basis with a limit of one backpack per student. Risks of an overweight backpack have been taken into account when filling the contents of the backpacks. Recipients of supplies must provide proof of residency or school enrollment within the ECC boundaries.

To make a donation to the seventh annual Project Backpack, visit www.project-backpack.org.