Many children look forward to arriving on the first day of school with new notebooks, backpacks, and pencil boxes, but it's a different story for children whose families can not afford these items. To meet this community need, JLLR implemented a brand new project called "Stuff the Bus" (STB). What is Stuff the Bus (STB)?
STB is a program focused on providing basic school supplies to those children in the Little Rock School District (LRSD) who are "most in need" to assist them with their studies and help build self-esteem.
Each August, thousands of Little Rock School District children start the school year without the necessary supplies to succeed academically. JLLR wants to enable these children to receive the best education possible by giving them the necessary resources to succeed. The Junior League of Little Rock is committed to improving the learning experience for the children in the Little Rock School District (LRSD).
How will STB work?
STB worked with the LRSD to identify schools with a high percentage of students who are "most in need" and would benefit from this program. Watson was identified by the LRSD as having the highest percentage of students that would benefit.
In its first-year, STB provided back-to-school items (pencils, crayons, notebook paper, etc.) for the 518 students at Watson Elementary. The STB committee worked diligently through the summer to collect, assemble, and distribute the school supplies to Watson Elementary before their first day of classes.
When did the program begin?
STB was launched in the spring of 2006. The LRSD was very excited for the JLLR to bring the STB project to them and has given JLLR a lot of support.
Where does the money and supplies come from?
For the pilot year, STB was funded by the JLLR.
What are the goals associated with STB?
The LRSD has approximately 6,000 students in the elementary level grades who qualify for the STB program. In the future, STB hopes to expand the program through community support, grants, corporate supply partners, and corporate program partners (financial support). With the proper support from the community, this could be the largest project the JLLR has in numbers of people reached each year.
