MTSU’s College of Education will host the culminating drop-off party event of this year’s “Stuff the Bus” initiative coordinated by the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
“We are excited about this opportunity to work with and support this event and United Way,” said Robyn Ridgley, associate dean of the college. “As an institution and college, we strive to have strong partnerships with our neighboring communities…. This initiative is one small way to connect with and support our local families, students and schools.”
The initiative collects community school supplies and monetary donations to provide local students with the materials they need to be prepared for the classroom. Organizers emphasized that no donation is too small, and the initiative’s website details how, where and what those interested can do to contribute — including a list of needed materials — at https://www.yourlocaluw.org/stuffthebus.
Donations can also be dropped off on campus at the collection bins inside of the COE building located by the elevators on the first and second floors until Wednesday, Aug. 2. MTSU will host the Stuff the Bus collection party on Thursday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Middle Tennessee Lot at the corner of Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard, where volunteers will help stuff backpacks while enjoying a food truck and music.
First launched in 2012, the Stuff the Bus initiative has since provided over 22,000 local students with school supplies; last year alone they collected almost 1,500 backpacks. With current estimates showing parents spend about $1,000 per child to cover the costs of school supplies, technology and extracurriculars, organizers hope to collect enough donations to create even more fully loaded backpacks this year.
“United Way is thrilled to partner with MTSU’s College of Education on this year’s Stuff the Bus, which is a community-wide initiative … to collect school supplies and get them into the hands of children who need them most,” said Meagan Flippin, president and CEO of the local United Way chapter, about the event presented by City Auto. “We partner with the school districts to disseminate the school supplies, so it makes sense that the College of Education is our partner in the collection effort including the official collection day event.”
To learn more about other upcoming events and opportunities at the College of Education, visit the website at https://www.mtsu.edu/education/ or the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MTSUEducation/.
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