“It’s more than just a backpack.”

You’ve heard this motto from us a thousand times, but what does it mean?

A backpack filled with necessary school supplies sounds so simple. The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County believes it’s one of the simplest solutions to the problem of inequity in the classroom. Providing students with basic tools to succeed is a practical way to start closing the Opportunity Gap.

But underneath the surface, this backpack provides so much more than new pencils, unused notebooks, and fresh packages of crayons.

• It carries self-esteem. For the kid who feels like he can’t measure up to his peers who walk in each year with everything they need, this backpack hoists him up to their level in his eyes, decreasing the need to compare and allowing him to focus on his future.
• It provides hope. For the student who feels stuck in a cycle of poverty at home and in school, the newness of the supplies symbolizes the hope to break free and start on a new trajectory, up and out of that vicious cycle.
• It boosts motivation. For the student who doesn’t usually have the joy of an annual back-to-school shopping trip with her parents due to financial restraints, new supplies eliminate barriers and bolster her to aim higher.
• It offers opportunity. For the young man who feels like opportunities come few and far between, unused supplies that are all his own make him feel like he’s been handed a chance to do something great.
• It improves confidence. To the young girl who spends her life wishing she were somebody else, this backpack equalizes her sense of belonging in the classroom and shows her that she is seen; she is important.
• It increases interest. To the kids who feel as though nobody cares, this backpack shows them that somebody indeed does, opening their eyes to the world of possibilities that are right at their fingertips.

New school supplies have always symbolized new beginnings and fresh starts. This year, let’s give our students the chance they deserve to succeed, to thrive, and to soar.