Back to school season is here, but this year looks vastly different for teachers, students, and parents. The impact of COVID-19 has created a more acute situation as teachers and schools prepare classrooms to follow new health and safety guidelines, such as spacing desks at a safe distance, buying individual learning tools and supplies to reduce sharing, and purchasing new technology to sign-in students and capture individuals’ temperatures.
Learning Launch is United to Learn's 4th annual back-to-school supply drive that equips teachers and students with teacher-requested learning resources and tools not covered by public school budgets. Teachers typically spend an average of $600 annually of their own money to ensure their students have the tools needed to succeed. Learning Launch aims to help fill these gaps so teachers can have the necessary resources to educate young learners.
Donations of any amount made at www.unitedtolearn.org/learninglaunch through September 17 will help fulfill teachers’ wish lists. With a focus on literacy education, Learning Launch seeks to fulfill every teacher request across all 53 Dallas ISD partner elementary schools city-wide, benefiting 28,500 students and 2,500 educators.
Under the chairmanship of Lindsay Billingsley, United to Learn’s Learning Launch has added an exciting virtual, at-home celebration called “Dinner for a Cause", where the first 50 people to donate $1,000 and above by August 31 will receive a dinner for two and a keepsake tablescape delivered on September 10 by Alto. The dinner can be enjoyed at home or be donated to a friend or teacher. The at-home dinner will be created by Dallas’ renowned food influencer and New York Times bestselling author of The Defined Dish, Alex Snodgrass, prepared by Origin Kitchen+Bar, and includes an elegant, reusable tablescape created by Emily Clarke Events.
“This year we hope that Learning Launch alleviate the financial burden of purchasing back to school supplies for teachers and ultimately supports thousands of families in our city,” said Billingsley. “We know that teachers spend their own resources on school supplies for their classrooms. By offsetting this cost for our teachers, we are letting them know that we value them and we support them. COVID-19 has lengthened the list of supplies and resources needed for back to school this year, so we need your support more than ever.”
About United to Learn
United to Learn is a Dallas-based nonprofit organization that is changing lives by transforming the relationship between schools and community. The United to Learn network is comprised of more than 75 partners including 53 Dallas ISD elementary schools and 26 community partners, including private schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses working together to accelerate student achievement, develop purposeful leaders and create a united and thriving community. Since its founding in 2003, United to Learn’s first 27 partner public schools have seen 13% improvement in literacy achievement, outpacing Dallas ISD, Dallas County, and state averages. For more information go to: unitedtolearn.org or follow on social media at www.facebook.com/unitedtolearn/, www.instagram.com/unitedtolearn/, www.linkedin.com/company/unitedtolearn/, and https://twitter.com/unitedtolearn.