Message from our Executive Director
A Champion for Students: Wishing Matthew Kurtzman a Fond Farewell
As we reflect back on an incredible year of accomplishments, it is with both gratitude and admiration that we say goodbye to our Founder and Director of Development, Matthew Kurtzman. In his nearly 15 years leading Back 2 School America, we celebrate the remarkable achievements made possible through his passion and hard work―most notably leading our efforts to provide millions of school supplies to students, families, teachers, and communities in need.
Make an Impact This Holiday Season:
Help Us Finish 2024 Strong & Support Teachers 🍎
As we wrap up the year, we’re launching our Make An Impact Campaign, focusing on helping teachers have the tools they need to ensure students thrive! For this wonderful holiday campaign, we are introducing Teacher Classroom Kits. These kits are designed to provide essential supplies that support educators in creating engaging, effective learning environments.
Help us restock a teacher’s classroom―Here’s how you can make an impact:
- A $200 donation will help us equip one teacher in an underfunded classroom with the materials they need to succeed.
By supporting our Teacher Classroom Kit initiative, you’re investing in educators and empowering them to provide the best possible school experience for their students. Together, we can show our gratitude for their hard work and dedication—let’s make an impact in classrooms across the country!
Back 2 School America Wins $65,000 Target Circle Award 🎯
We are beyond excited to announce that Back 2 School America has been awarded $65,000 through the Target Circle program! This generous award will allow us to further expand our programs and reach even more students in underserved communities, ensuring they have the school supplies and support they need to thrive.
We want to extend a huge thank-you to Target and to everyone who participated in voting for us. Your efforts directly contributed to making a lasting impact on students across the nation!
Proud 2 Build Event Recap: A Huge Success 🌈
Our Proud 2 Build event, held on October 18th at the Center on Halsted, was an incredible celebration of diversity, inclusion, and education. Volunteers, supporters, and community leaders came together to build hundreds of school supply kits, all while promoting the values of unity and empowerment.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this meaningful event! Your energy, dedication, and passion helped make it a day to remember, and more importantly, it provided essential supplies to students who needed them most. The takeaway: 800 school supply kits were donated to Communities United, Center on Halsted, and the Chicago Police Department – District 19.
2 ‘n 1: Two Build-A-Kits in One Day
Last week Thursday, October 24th, was a very busy and impactful day for us. Collaborating with our generous corporate sponsors and non-profit partner organizations, we built over 700 hundred school supply kits for students and teachers.
At one event, 70 Allstate changemakers and YMCA Chicago, we built 420 Teacher Classroom Kits and completed this feat in just one hour! In addition, More than 12,500 students will receive activity books developed in collaboration between The Allstate Foundation and TIME for Kids. ✏️
Meanwhile, at our second event, 100 Motorola Solutions employees from 60 countries gathered at the Chicago Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club and built 300 school supply kits. These will directly benefit students.
A huge thank you to each and every volunteer and partner that made this possible.
