More than 90,000 children in the St. Louis metro area face the beginning of the school year without necessary supplies - basics like pencils and paper. And while sharing is a good thing, it doesn't work so well for school supplies.
KidSmart, a local non-profit, has been working since 2002 to collect supplies for needy kids, and one of its major giving campaigns, Push for Pencils, begins Aug. 1.
Through Push for Pencils, KidSmart collected and distributed nearly 500,000 supplies and $70,000 last year for school children in need. This year the campaign runs August 1-31. Businesses throughout the St. Louis metro area act as drop-off points throughout the month, including Whole Foods, Crown Vision and Commerce Bank locations. (To find a drop-off location near you, go to the locator page on the Push for Pencils web site and enter your zip code.)
Organizations and individuals can also hold one-day events to help collect supplies. For example, American Family is sponsoring a "Stuff the Bus" event on Saturday, August 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Office Depot, 4045 Veterans Memorial Parkway in St. Peters, to collect supplies for Push for Pencils. Many similar events are scheduled throughout the month.
So, there are many ways to get involved, whether it's dropping off supplies, volunteering at a one-day event, hosting your own drive, or forming your own team to collect supplies throughout the month. The KidsSmart Push for Pencils web site gives you all the information you need to get as involved as you'd like. You can download a playbook for your event or a toolkit for your team, and participate in forum discussions with other team leaders. The team that collects the most supplies will win an ice cream party for up to 50 people. But the real winners will be kids who will face the new school year with a full backpack, ready to learn.
By Julia Bollman, publisher of SmartParenting
Bring your babies and toddlers to this free story time at the Missouri History Museum.
Storytelling in the Museum is an in-person storytelling event happening at 10:30 a.m. at the Missouri History Museum. This event, perfect for the preschool set, features engaging stories with themes like Mardi Gras, geology, Black History Month, Groundhog Day and more. Storytelling in the Museum is free.
In its ongoing mission to educate and inspire curiosity in young learners, Edwardsville Children's Museum (ECM) is excited to celebrate the grand opening of its Discovery Garden Expansion. Following a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., the community is invited to explore three new exhibits that honor history, celebrate nature, and set the scene for non-stop fun.
Join in on First Art, a free art program for toddlers where the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!
Science Tots is designed for children ages 18 to 36 months. The class provides opportunities to support brain development and learning. Toddlers and their grown-ups will explore STEM topics through songs, stories, hands-on exploration and play.