It can be hard to remember the details behind the first day of kindergarten. The way the classroom was decorated with cutout apples and pencils, the nametags with each student’s name carefully written and the blocks, books and puzzles that filled the shelves lining the walls. There were bins of crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue and scissors in every color imaginable, all awaiting their destiny within the hands of the children.
Little did we know it was our teacher’s love driving him or her to pay out of his or her own pocket money for these supplies.
While each school does dedicate part of its funds for classroom supplies, many teachers find this is not enough and use their own money to make the classroom more child-friendly.
Based on a study in the “The Journal: Transforming Education Through Technology,” David Nagel wrote on July 8th 2010: “Teachers spent on average $356 of their own money on supplies and resources, including an average of $170 on supplies and $186 on instructional materials.”
As a student at Eastern Michigan University, a school well known for its teaching program, these numbers can be alarming. The non-profit organization Pennies for Pencils is trying to help bring down the amount teachers spend by “Helping students, one cent at a time.”
Cory Beadle, the current president, and three of his friends from EMU – Emilie Hannon, Anthony DeNardis and Leslie Hillebrand ¬– founded PFP.
When asked about the reason for the group’s formation, Hillebrand said, “Two of the founding members were going to school to be teachers. We all started talking about what we had when we were going to school. We realized, it’d be kind of cool if we could do something to give back.”
The organization has raised a total of $5000, including the estimated cost of some of the supplies PFP was donated.
Recently, Trinity Health donated school materials including notebooks, highlighters, erasers, glue, folders, calculators and much more to PFP. A little before Trinity’s donation, PFP was given a large supply of binders. These materials are being donated from PFP to different schools in Michigan.
In order to receive contributions, Michigan teachers go onto the PFP website – penniesforpencils.org – and register their school. Once the supplies are collected, they are sent directly to the teachers.
According to Hillebrand, “Mainly teachers really need those basic things. So many of our kids can’t provide any of their own supplies.”
Along with donations, PFP also raises money for Michigan schools through two
events. One event, Pennies for Pencils Dinner Dance, will be held on April 3rd.
On October 29th, PFP will be holding their second annual Pumpkin Run, or as Hillebrand called it, “The Walk/Run for Education.”
The run will be held at EMU; tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the race itself begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Towers.
Last year, PFP was able to get 200 adults, teens and youth to run the Pumpkin Race. So far this year, 70 people have registered to participate in the race, via the PFP website. Among them, Kimanie Gentles and some of his fraternity brothers have registered.
It is Gentles’ first time participating in the race, and when asked about what he expects out of the race he said, “Some of the people I love dearly are a part of the Pennies of Pencil program. I know this for sure; they would not be involved with it if it wasn’t for a greater good.”
