OPERATION BACK- TO- SCHOOL

Now in its 21^st year, our Operation Back-to-School provides new supplies to elementary school students on the first day of classes in September. Unlike other school supply programs, we provide students with everything their teachers have identified to help them start the year off on the right foot.  To date, more than 10,000 low-income students have been served by the Junior League.

The year, the League will bring Operation Back to School to Wood Road Elementary School in Ballston Spa.  This school has been designated as a Title 1 School since a large percent of the students qualify for reduced or free breakfast and lunch. There are approximate 500 students enrolled for the upcoming year.

Donations for a given school can include but not limited to:

600 boxes of crayons

1000 plastic folders

3,600 glue sticks

355 boxes of color pencils

1,500 boxes of pencils

500 notebooks

100 binders

100 packages of lined paper

250 rulers

250 erasers

200 pairs of scissors

1,000 dry eraser markers

In addition, Operation Back to School (OBTS) has collaborated with Schenectady County Community College, our League provides over 400 students participating in Smart Scholars Early College High School Program with their teacher’s requested school supplies.

This program engaged with Schenectady City High School students starting in 9^th grade who have been identified as belonging to a population that has historically not had access to or success in higher education, with the goal of allowing each student to graduate high school with a Regents Diploma and the opportunity to successfully transition into college with at least 20 credit hours.

Our League’s goal was to facilitate the provision of all the educational supplies, such as calculators, planners, notebooks, and backpacks, which the students will need of this program.  This allows these students to complete the four year program at no additional cost to the student or their family.  JLSS solicits donations and other community support in order to meet this goal.  Our League members also volunteered to do all of the shopping and organize all of the items to be presented to each student at the beginning of the school year.

The goals of this program were to:

• To increase high school graduation rates;
• To increase the number of students who complete postsecondary credential/degree;
• To address needs of students from populations traditionally underrepresented in college.
• To help close our nation’s student achievement gap

Operation Back- To-School  has been made possible by the generous donations of our sponsors including Stewart’s Shop Holiday Match, Mohawk Honda, Mohawk Chevrolet and William Gundry Broughton Charitable Private Foundation, Inc.