RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — The College of Education at Eastern Kentucky University is set to send more than 100 new teachers into schools across the state and region this year, and they'll be well equipped with supplies to begin their new careers.
“She [Brandy Blackburn] heard from students that were going into their classrooms, that they didn't have the supplies they needed,” Dr. Elizabeth Smith, the College of Education Dean said.
Blackburn, the school's director of professional education services, heard the pleas and did something about them.
“Last semester we started a new initiative for our students upon graduation,” Blackburn explained. “Fully donated and funded [school supplies], by our alumni and current teachers in the field and parents and staff and faculty."
The program, called “Class in a Box,” outfits more than 100 soon-to-be-graduates with a box full of school supplies to take to their first classrooms in the fall.
“…Pens, highlighters and markers, a stapler, staples, crayons, post it notes,” Blackburn listed.
Each box also comes with a note of encouragement from a donor, which in many cases is a current teacher. In some cases, it might be a former EKU College of Education student.
“Having that note of encouragement from the donor that tells them what they're thinking and how proud they are of them,” Blackburn said.
Future teachers, Raleigh Meadors and Talesha Ford are incredibly appreciative of the program. They’re aware that many teachers are spending their own money to buy supplies for their classrooms.
Meadors will be teaching in Whitley County, where many families might not have the money to afford a full set of supplies for every new school year.
“The classroom in a box is such a neat idea. I love that they gathered these materials for us because it's hard starting out as a teacher,” Meadors said.
“School supplies are my favorite, so this is great,” Ford added.
“By the middle of the year we're having to replace [supplies]," she stated.
Thanks to Class in a Box, their careers and their school years can get off to a good start. Blackburn credited the people in her office for brainstorming this one.
“When we see a need, some kind of barrier, we need to try to address that,” she said.
