Teaching Supplies online

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin

Teachers around the nation are doing just that — involving their students in classroom activities — no matter the cost. The reality is, 99.5% of teachers purchase classroom supplies and other equipment out of pocket. In the 2012-2013 school year alone, teachers spent a total of $1.6 billion for classroom supplies with their own money; that’s $485 in extra expenses per teacher!

Baltimore City based, Lakeland Elementary and Middle school teacher Erin Ganzzermiller is one such teacher who personally buys supplies for her STEM class. “I work in a Title I school and unfortunately many of my students do not have the resources to purchase needed supplies. Just the other day, I assigned a project to create cells using poster board. Some of my students came to class empty handed. When I asked their parents about the purchase, the response was that they were not able to afford the supplies. The poster board cost 50 cents.”

The University of Southern California Rossier School of Education is excited to offer K-12 teachers like Erin Ganzzermiller an opportunity to get a little of what they continue to give — with The Classroom Project. This initiative is an exciting opportunity for K-12 teachers to win one of 30 prizes that total over $3, 000 to purchase classroom supplies. This campaign also gives a voice to educators everywhere that are spending money out of pocket for their classrooms. Now is the time for communities to show their support for teachers while raising awareness about the need for additional supplies in the classroom.