GREENVILLE, Wis., Nov. 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- School Specialty, Inc. (OTCQB:SCOO) ("School Specialty" or "the Company"), a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace, today announced that it will donate 5% of holiday purchases (up to $50,000) in support of DonorsChoose.org – an online nonprofit that accepts donations to directly fund classroom projects at public schools – as part of its "Gift of Education" initiative to begin November 3 through December 31, 2014.
"Teachers play a crucial role in our children's lives and they do a tremendous job in nurturing young minds. Yet too often they are challenged by limited resources in their local districts and are forced to spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on classroom materials. Thanks to innovative organizations such as DonorsChoose.org, individuals and companies can provide direct support so teachers don't have to do that," stated Pat Collins, Executive Vice President of School Specialty. "We're very excited to partner with DonorsChoose.org on School Specialty's "Gift of Education" initiative and look forward to kicking-off our fundraising efforts in the upcoming holiday season."
The two-month "Gift of Education" campaign will not only serve to generate much needed funds for respective school projects, but it also aims to inspire others to contribute to DonorsChoose.org and bring more attention to the funding schools need to prepare students for the 21st century. The campaign will be augmented by a significant discount on School Specialty products throughout the period as well as daily social media contests.
Since its inception in 2000, approximately 61 percent of all public schools in America have at least one teacher who has created a project on DonorsChoose.org. Deserving schools and teachers from every corner of America post specific requests to support their classroom projects, ranging from pencils for poetry writing, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class. To date, over 208,000 teachers have used DonorsChoose to secure more than $280 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn.
Mr. Collins continued, "At School Specialty our mission is to help teachers ensure that every student reaches their full potential. Our partnership with DonorsChoose.org reflects the enduring commitment to address the specific needs of teachers and pupils in local communities across the country and in the process, improve the learning experience for all."
About School Specialty, Inc.
School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. For more information about School Specialty, visit www.schoolspecialty.com.
About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. At this nonprofit website, teachers at half of all the public schools in America have created project requests, and more than 1.5 million people have donated $280 million to projects that inspire them. All told, 13 million students—most from low-income communities, and many in disaster-stricken areas—have received books, art supplies, field trips, technology, and other resources that they need to learn.
Visit www.donorschoose.org/intro to hear Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert tell the DonorsChoose.org story.