Make a Difference! Donate to Our School Supply Drive

All too often, students don’t have the school supplies — pens, paper, notebooks and more — that they need to succeed in school. Teachers struggle to fill the gap without the resources they need.

>> DONATE: Build a backpack online through our Virtual Giving Tree

So this July, join us as we return for our second annual Supporting Our Schools!

Supporting Our Schools is a nationwide school supply drive spearheaded by NBC and Telemundo owned stations located all across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 are working with Family Giving Tree to help collect supplies and funds that will help students and teachers in need.

This year, approximately 225 qualifying schools throughout the Bay Area are slated to receive backpacks. For many of their students, these fully stocked backpacks will be the only resource available to start a new school year with the tools and confidence they need to succeed. Last year, our local “Supporting Our Schools” effort resulted in the collection of more than 3,000 backpacks of supplies for local classroom projects through the Family Giving Tree website, valued at over $100,000.

NBC Bay Area, Telemundo 48 and Family Giving Tree has set a target to deliver 37,000 backpacks to those Bay Area children who need them most. Based on public school data regarding student eligibility for free and reduced-priced school meals, Family Giving Tree estimates that over 350,000 Bay Area students need donated backpacks and school supplies.

We’ll be telling stories through the end of July from the Bay Area and beyond to raise awareness about what can be done to help students and teachers thrive.

HOW TO DONATE:

You can build a backpack online by visiting our Virtual Giving Tree.

You can also build your own backpack and drop it off at various locations. Click here for a list of drop-off locations in the Bay Area. Click here to learn more about Family Giving Tree.

RECOMMENDED LIST OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO INCLUDE IN THE BACKPACK:

Grades K-1

• A pack of pencils

• One glue stick

• One eraser

• One pencil sharpener

• Soft pencil case

• Washable markers

• A pack of crayons

• A pack of construction paper

• 2-pocket folder

• Bonus: STEAM flashcards or workbook

Grades 2-5

• A pack of pencils

• One glue stick

• One eraser

• One pencil sharpener

• Soft pencil case

• Washable markers

• A pack of colored pencils

• Two 2-pocket folders

• One ruler

• A wide rule spiral notebook

• Bonus: STEAM flashcards or workbook

Grades 6-8

• A pack of pencils

• One glue stick

• One eraser

• One pencil sharpener

• 2 highlighters

• 4 blue pens

• Soft pencil case

• Pack of colored pencils

• Two 2-pocket folders

• A ruler

• 1.5” 3-ring binder

• One pack of college rule filler paper

• Pack of graph paper

• College rule spiral notebook

• 8-digit calculator

Grades 9-12

• A pack of pencils

• One glue stick

• One eraser

• A pencil sharpener

• 4 blue pens

• 2 highlighters

• Soft pencil case

• A pack of colored pencils

• Two 2-pocket folders

• A ruler

• 1.5” 3-ring binder

• One pack of college rule filler paper

• Pack of graph paper

• 2 college rule spiral notebooks

• Scientific calculator

Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
Source: NBC Bay Area