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In this project, we will be discussing students having access to school supplies outside of school. Although some students never have to worry about their families providing them with school supplies to use outside of school, many families don’t have the resources or means to provide their students with school supplies. With the price of goods going up, many students and their families are unsure whether or not they will be able to afford all the various supplies: stationary items, uniforms, technology, etc. It is crucial to raise awareness and take action on this particular issue so that the education of the students who don’t have access to school supplies outside of school will not suffer.

In schools with marginalized communities, it is crucial that students are provided access to school supplies outside of school because many of these families do not have the funds to provide these supplies for their students. In particular, migrant workers make up most of the population of these marginalized communities. These migrant workers lack the funds to purchase required school uniforms and school supplies (Free & Križ, 2016). When it comes to education, there is a significant gap between migrant students and non-migrant students: migrant students face additional hardships, such as poverty (Free & Križ, 2016). The biggest support migrant educators can offer their students is helping their students access supplies (Free & Križ, 2016). In particular, migrant educators discussed how they supplied students with daily necessities such as clothing, school uniforms and even shoes (Free & Križ, 2016). For example, one student was failing science until she admitted that her family did not have enough money to buy the textbook (Free & Križ, 2016). As seen, if students do not have access to school supplies, their education will suffer.

In addition, children from low-income families typically have fewer books at home and less access to public libraries or bookstores (Chandler, 2015). For example, at C.W. Harris Elementary School, where 70 percent of students are at risk because they are homeless or in foster care, they have no books from the frequently requested Diary of a Wimpy Kid series because they have no resources (Chandler, 2015). The librarian, Sheila Gaskins, couldn’t even remember the last time she had a budget (Chandler, 2015). As shown, higher-poverty schools are more likely to have smaller collections of books (Chandler, 2015). According to Ann Carlson Weeks, associate dean at the University of Maryland's College of Informational Studies, who served on a library task force for the school system in 2012, access to books really does matter in students' education (Chandler, 2015). The topic of students having access to school supplies outside of school is extremely important to their educational success. There is a significant need for awareness and action in helping students have access to school supplies outside of school so that each child has the same opportunity to learn. Children should not be penalized for not having the means to access resources; their grades should not suffer for circumstances out of their control. Awareness and action on this issue are crucial to students’ educational success.

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This topic impacts us in a variety of ways. While being full time college student, the prices of supplies, like textbooks, laptops, iPads, etc, can become overwhelming. Not everyone who attends college has the money to pay for these resources, which can impact their ability to succeed. For example, we both had to put a lot of money into our supplies for our first semester. We both needed multiple textbooks for our classes, and we both needed to purchase new laptops. Luckily, we are financially stable enough to purchase these items, but we know that not everybody can, which is why we feel connected to this topic. Especially since we are both pursuing a career in education, we understand that not all of our students are going to come from families who can afford school supplies outside of school. We want to help raise awareness to this crucial issue so that more students will have access to supplies so that their education won't suffer from circumstances outside of their control.

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West Chester University actually already has a Resource Pantry. This Resource Pantry is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at West Chester University regardless of need level (West Chester University, 2022). No proof of income or need is required. This Resource Pantry has school supplies, career clothing, personal care items, fresh food, and shelf-stable food (West Chester University, 2022). Pertaining to school supplies, the Resource Pantry has backpacks, notebooks, loose leaf paper, binders, folders, pens, pencils, and highlighters (West Chester University, 2022). If you are interested in dropping off items to the Resource Pantry, there is a list of accepted items, which you should view prior to donating (https://www.wcupa.edu/_services/civicEngagementSocialImpact/pantry/donate.aspx)  (West Chester University, 2022). You can reach out to the Resource Pantry via email pantry@wcupa.edu or by phone at 610-436-2378. The office is located at 715 S. New St. Commonwealth Hall, Lower Level, Enter at Student Health Services, West Chester, PA 19383. Specifically stated on their website, they are always looking for others to collaborate with them (they love working with individuals who are passionate about eradicating basic needs insecurities!) (West Chester University, 2022). After researching the WCU Resource Pantry, we decided that we could organize an event on campus to collect school supplies. The donated school supplies would go directly to the WCU Resource Pantry. Specific school supplies we would ask for (as requested by the Resource Pantry’s website) are: backpacks, notebooks, loose leaf paper, binders, folders, pens, pencils, and highlighters. We could host this event in the quad, since many students pass by on their way to classes throughout the day. We could spread the word about this event by creating flyers (paper and digital) to post throughout the campus, as well as post on social media. We could also use our voices and let friends know about the event so that we could raise awareness. All the physical donations would go straight to the shelves of the WCU Resource Pantry to support West Chester University students in need.

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We currently offer non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, school supplies, professional attire and seasonal attire.