Belk and Classroom Central deliver supplies to students in high-need schools
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Classroom Central
Yesterday volunteers from Belk distributed bags of school supplies to 900 students at Sterling Elementary School. Sterling is one of seven schools, four of which were funded by Belk, receiving supplies as part of Classroom Central’s Backpacks and Basics initiative.
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Schools eligible for Backpacks and Basics donations are high-need institutions where 85% or more of the student body receives free or reduced lunch.
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Every student received matching packs of notebook paper, glue sticks, scissors, crayons, pencils and more. “Now we can learn about inches and centimeters!” one little boy yelled as he opened his new ruler. “Paper! I need this for my homework,” said a girl at another table.
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A survey of educators found that Classroom Central programs like Backpacks and Basics help to improve test performance, timeliness and completion of assignments, student behavior and quality of students’ work.
All Backpacks and Basics donations are funded by sponsorships. According to Belk VP of Financial Planning Carl Ford, employees donated $85,000 to Classroom Central for the purchase of school supplies. The company’s 1300 corporate employees raised money in creative ways, including a staff lip synch competition. Belk Foundation contributed another $30,000.