Push for Pencils Blog
And the totals are…
I have some numbers for you today…
As you know, last Friday was the first day that teachers could shop for supplies for their students. Here are some powerful totals:
- 113 Teachers shopped for their classrooms and walked away with
- 184 packs of markers
- 1,494 notebooks of paper
- and over $62,000 dollars worth of supplies for St. Louis students
For the FIRST day of shopping, these numbers are pretty amazing! Thank you again to everyone who helps KidSmart make this possible!
Posted by Shirey on August 06, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
Tip of the Day
Today’s Tip of the Day comes from Sherri at Citi Smith Barney in Clayton. She planned a creative and fun back-to-school luncheon for co-workers in order to generate buzz and excitement about participating in their Push for Pencils drive. Read about how she converted a conference room into a cafeteria and got her employees involved and excited…
Citi Smith Barney kicked off their Push for Pencils campaign with a “Back to School” luncheon. In order to participate in our luncheon, each individual needed to donate school supplies or make a monetary donation to KidSmart. We transformed our conference room into the school cafeteria with school posters and elementary lined paper for placemats. The table coverings, plates, and napkins were primary colors. Lunch consisted of our favorite grade school cuisine: sloppy joes, chicken fingers, tator tots, macaroni and cheese, jello cups with fruit, cookies, and milk. We also had employees bring in grade school pictures and we had a “Guess Your Co-Worker” contest. The individual who had the most correct answers won a Back Pack.
I had the pleasure of attending this luncheon, and it was just a blast. The mac and cheese was by far my favorite and I must say, this “cafeteria food” was much better than anything I remember getting in school…
Posted by Shirey on August 05, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
Meet a KidSmart Board Member
We have another guest today! This time Rob Amberg, one of our Board Members, offers a bit about how he became involved with KidSmart and why the organization means so much to him…
As a KidSmart board member, it’s probably expected that I would say positive things about the organization, but Push for Pencils holds a special place in my heart, regardless of my affiliation. Push for Pencils is how I was introduced to KidSmart and why I decided to get involved. There was a drive in my building and I decided to talk to the KidSmart representative about the organization. After listening for a few minutes, I donated some spare supplies from my office. Then I thought about all those kids in need, and I decided that I could do more. That was nearly four years ago, and today I’m proud to be a part of such a wonderful community of people dedicated to helping our children succeed. I challenge you to spend 5 minutes learning about what KidSmart does for our community’s children and not walk away wanting to get involved. Look around the website, or better yet, talk to anyone on staff or a volunteer. You’ll be one step closer to helping our kids start off on the right foot.
Rob mentioned all the children in need in St. Louis...Currently, over 80,000 local kids cannot afford the basic school supplies that are absolutely necessary to succeeding in school. Did you catch that? More than 80,000 kids will go to school this fall unprepared, lacking the fundamental tools for learning. Right now, KidSmart serves 45,000 of these children, but what about all the other kids?
KidSmart needs your help to grow. Take a moment, explore the website, and learn a little more about ways you can make a difference.
Posted by Shirey on August 05, 2008 | comments (1) | Permalink
A Note from the “Mistress of the Opening Ceremonies”
Let me introduce you all to Christy, KidSmart’s Director of Development and the “Mistress of the Opening Ceremonies” this past Friday. She is an irreplacable member of the KidSmart team, who keeps our organization running as smoothly as possible each day. Today she reflects back on the Kick-Off and the first day of shopping. Take a minute to read through her thoughts and hear about her favorite moments of the day.
Well, we made it! The first day of shopping has come and gone and it was a TREMENDOUS success. We had a blast with the Olympic themed games, my favorite was the 5 x FAB 5 Relay! I couldn’t believe how many of our teacher-shoppers showed up at 6:00 am - thank you to each of you. You are all such an important part of KidSmart, we couldn’t exist without you! Heidi Glaus from Channel 5 was here too! (I hope you caught the coverage on Friday.) She had a ball and made the morning all that more exciting! My favorite thing was when Heidi was nearly taken out by a shopping cart in the 5 x FAB 5 Relay!! Look out - our shoppers are SERIOUS about school supplies. I also can’t say thank you enough to our volunteers that morning. Nearly 20 individuals from Enterprise Rent a Car sweated and sweated and sweated with us for nearly 7 hours helping with the Kick-Off and then working the store during shopping! They were all amazing and we are so grateful for them. Those of you who were here for the kick-off, let us know what you thought! We want to make these activities FUN and beneficial for you! We would love to hear any feedback or suggestions you have for us for next year!
Thank you Christy for taking time from your busy day to share your thoughts!
Posted by Shirey on August 04, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
Tip of the Day
Are you hosting a supply drive and looking for a creative way to increase staff involvement? Why not make it a fun competition between departments, floors, or some other form of groups within your company or building?
Thoughts on generating excitement and competition:
1) Have the teams all come up with creative name, like the “Crayon Collectors” or the “Backpack Packers.”
2) Post each team’s progress in a visible location in your office.
3) Think of a creative prize your staff will repond to and offer it to the winning team. Maybe it’s a Jeans Day at work, lunch ordered in, or even an ice cream party! Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that makes your staff tick.
Have you already set up a competition for your school supply drive? What have you done to spark your employees’ competitive spirits?
Posted by Shirey on August 04, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
More on the Kick-Off
I’m waiting to hear back on more numbers from the Kick-Off this morning… I can tell you that at least 112 teachers made it out to KidSmart to shop today… Check back on Monday for pictures from today’s event and updates on shopping totals.
On another note, Mandi, our Manager of Corporate Relations, and I also attended a school cafeteria themed lunch this afternoon at Citi Smith Barney in Clayton. The employees threw a a great party and gave KidSmart a fantastic donation of school supplies to count towards Push for Pencils. Thank you!!
Did you make it out to KidSmart today? Let me know what you thought about the Kick-Off and tell me about your shopping experience!
Posted by Shirey on August 01, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
KidSmart Is Open For Shopping!
I’m sitting at the teacher registration desk, checking in teachers who are waiting to shop. It’s 9:25AM, our 88th teacher of the day just entered the store, and we currently have 16 more waiting for their opportunity to shop. Not only is this the first day that teachers can shop for the 2008-2009 school year, it is also my first day of shopping. It has been an exciting morning of carefully managed chaos, but everyone involved has done a fantastic job ensuring the event runs as smoothly as possible.
The KidSmart Olympics were a huge hit! Staff arrived this morning at 5:00AM to welcome Heidi Glaus with the News Channel 5 KSDK Morning Show. Crown Vision and Schnucks joined us at 5:30 to set up their corporate booths, and by this time the line of teachers waiting to register for shopping extended well outside the KidSmart door.
Our teachers had a blast playing Olympic themed games, which included Back to School Bulls Eye, Boxing for Books, and the Five by Fab Five Relay Race. The games put a school supply twist on traditional Olympic games (i.e., Archery, Boxing, & the 4x400 relay), and the winners walked away with a little something extra for the kids in their classrooms.
Now, while teachers wait to shop, we are playing KidSamrt Trivia, quizzing the teachers on their KidSmart knowledge.
Thank you to the team of Enterprise volunteers who graciously donated us their time this morning and helped make this event possible!
More to come later this afternoon/evening…
Posted by Shirey on August 01, 2008 | comments (2) | Permalink
Push for Pencils Kick-Off Details
Are you planning to attend our Push for Pencils Kick-Off event tomorrow morning? Here are the details you need to know:
-Teacher Registration begins at 5:45 AM (and no, the “AM” is not a typo…)
-The Opening Ceremonies for the KidSmart Olympics starts at 6:00 AM
-Shopping starts at 7:00 AM and lasts until noon
If you are still debating whether or not to drag yourself out of bed to attend our Olympic themed games, below are some event details that may persuade you to join us:
-We are serving a continental breakfast, so please come hungry!
-All the teachers in attendance from 6:00-7:00 will have the chance to participate in FUN games and activities. If you are a winner, you’ll walk away with additional supplies for your classroom!
-We have special guests scheduled to join us that you won’t want to miss.
-We’re going to have a blast and we want you to be a part of it!
Less than 8 hours to go… The Push is almost here!
Posted by Shirey on July 31, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
36 Hours and Counting…
Push for Pencils officially kicks-off in less than 36 hours, and everyone at KidSmart is racing a thousand miles an hour to ensure everything is ready. In addition to being the Push for Pencils launch date, August 1st is also the first day of shopping for our teachers. KidSmart has never combined these events before, and the anticipation (and anxiety) just keeps growing… So exciting!!
Teacher registration starts at 5:45 AM and the Kick-Off begins at 6:00 AM this Friday. Check back tomorrow for details on what to expect…
Posted by Shirey on July 30, 2008 | comments (0) | Permalink
Welcome from Shirey
Welcome to KidSmart’s Push for Pencils Blog!! As Jennifer stated, this is something completely new for KidSmart, and I am excited to be a part of it!
My name is Shirey and I will be keeping you updated on everything regarding Push for Pencils 2008. I’ve spent my summer as an intern for KidSmart and it has been the experience of a lifetime – challenging, rewarding, educational, exhausting… and usually even fun!
I’ll be posting throughout the drive on the most up-to-date Push for Pencils news. Here’s a snapshot of things you’ll find on this blog this August:
- Supply drive tips and success stories
- Updates on our progress towards this year’s goals (385,000 supplies & $50,000)
- Push for Pencils events taking place in the community
- Guest blogs from teachers we serve and KidSmart volunteers
- And anything Push for Pencils related that you would like to talk about
This blog is a forum for the entire KidSmart community to come together, start conversations, and get to know each other better. So, visit often, let me know what you want to hear more about as the drive progresses, and contact me if you’re interested in being a guest blogger.
Thank you to all of you who contribute to the KidSmart mission! Let’s make Push for Pencils 2008 KidSmart’s most successful drive yet!
Posted by Shirey on July 29, 2008 | comments (2) | Permalink