Gentry

There are some tools in a classroom that feel small-but the carry extraordinary impact. A pencil is one of them. It is the first instrument of self-expression. The bridge between imagination and paper. The quiet companion to every math problem solved, every spelling word written out, and every story that’s been drafted and revised. A pencil is such a simple object – lightweight, inexpensive, easy to overlook. Pencils remain the #1 most requested school supply by teachers across the country.

In many classrooms, they don’t last long. They are shared, misplaced and sharpened down to the eraser. Imagine showing up to your classroom without so much as a pencil. While your peers are able to complete their assignments, you have to choose between asking a classmate or your teacher to borrow items, or to skip the work altogether. Either way, you know something is different about you, and it pulls your focus from the lesson being taught.

A pencil may seem ordinary. But in a child’s hand, it becomes a possibility. Without a pencil students lose the opportunities to write, solve, practice and share their voice with the world. Something so simple as a pencil should never be a barrier to learning. Pencils power learning in deeply meaningful ways. Writing by hand activates multiple areas of the brain. It strengthens retention. It promotes deeper thinking and idea generation. It reduces distractions that often come with screens. Most importantly, pencils give students free reign to try with the knowledge that mistakes can be erased, and ideas can be reshaped, building confidence with every stroke. We believe that reading and writing changes the world every day and it is our goal to plant the seed of reading writing within as many children as we can. To this end, it is why we support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (promoting early childhood reading age 0 -5) and Stuff the Bus.

Planting these seeds requires the right tools. In the classroom, pencils also need paper. Collecting school supplies during Stuff the Bus and providing these supplies to teachers allows teachers to focus on instruction instead of supply shortages and students can participate fully, confidently and creatively. When we remove even the smallest barriers, learning becomes accessible – and voices grow stronger.

Imagine a student walks in empty-handed and finds supplies sitting at his/her desk. They find freshly-sharpened pencils, a package of paper or notebooks, and crayons that are all theirs. That student suddenly feels seen, encouraged, and hopeful for the school year. Educational equity starts with access. It starts with ensuring that no child is without supplies as basic and essential as pencils and paper.

Join us in making this impact successful. On August 13th, 14th and 15th we will conducting Stuff the Bus in the Walgreen parking lot collecting school supplies to put into the hands of students who need them most. And if you feel moved to create a deeper impact, consider extending your support with a donation to United Way of Northeast Michigan designated to Stuff the Bus and/or Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Your donation will continue to fueling classrooms with tools that power learning all year long.

When children are well prepared to enter kindergarten and classrooms are fully equipped, students don’t just complete assignments. They discover their voice.