Campus community can help area students during "Herd Back to School: Summer Supply Drive"

Faculty and staff at Purdue University Fort Wayne are being invited to take part in a new initiative to support K–12 students in Allen County as they head back to the classroom this fall.

Organized by the Office of Admissions, the “Herd Back to School: Summer Supply Drive” has a goal of filling 250 backpacks for those who can use some help with their supply list. Most-needed items are pencils, erasers, crayons, dry-erase markers, spiral and composition notebooks, plastic folders, pencil cases, and wired headphones. Additional supplies such as disinfectant wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, washable markers, and glue sticks are also being accepted and will be available for students to choose from.

Donations can be dropped off now through July 25 in labeled bins located at the admissions entrance in Walb Student Union, the Gates Sports Center lobby, the door #1 entrance of Kettler Hall, the Visual Arts Building lobby, the Music Center’s main hallway on the first floor, and the Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science Building lobby.

The filled backpacks will be handed out as part of an on-campus resource fair from 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 1. Information booths highlighting various university services will be featured.

“We want to support students in the community by ensuring they have the necessary materials to succeed in the classroom, from physical supplies to other valuable resources like information about our 21st Century Scholars program,” said Makenna Kooy, admissions counselor and drive coordinator. “We want to add to the excitement of back to school by helping students and their families get what they need for their first day, hopefully easing some of the stress that comes with it.”

Backpack recipients will be identified in advance by the admissions team using its list of students in grades 7–12, and through collaboration with local school systems for those in grades K–6.

Admissions encourages university departments and units to collect items as a team, share news of the drive on social media, and volunteer to help sort, pack, and distribute supplies at the Aug. 1 event. Off-campus donations are welcome.

Contact admissions at [email protected] for additional information.