This is #WhyISchoola: One Company’s Mission to Help Lack of Funding in Schools

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When you think back to your school years and the moments and subjects that you feel really shaped you and helped you figure out who you were as a person, what comes to mind?

Maybe it was theater and you developed a love for the stage and found out that you weren’t quite as shy as you thought you were. Or was it art, where you discovered your love for coming up with an idea and then creating something with your hands. Maybe it was P.E., the one place you could finally get out all that pent up energy you’d been holding in all day.

Whatever it was, I’m sure either art, drama, tech, music, physical education, sports and field trips helped shape who you are today.

Me with my Letterman Jacket - Circa 1993
Me with my Letterman Jacket – Circa 1993

For me, it was journalism. I’ll never forget the day my English teacher pulled me aside and said she needed to talk to me after class. I had no idea what was going on. I just knew I was in trouble. Me getting in trouble wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary since I was going through a very hard time that year, and dealt with it in ways I shouldn’t have. I wasn’t sure what I had done, but I knew it couldn’t be good.

After class my teacher looked me in the eye and said “you should be writing.” Me? Good at something? We then walked up to the journalism class and she introduced me to the teacher. And as they say, the rest is history. That class helped me shape up. That class made me want to do good in school so I would stay eligible for competitions and trips. That class and that teacher made me feel worth something. If you asked me to tell you which class in school stands out as the most important one, I would say journalism — hands down.

I not only learned how to craft my writing, but I learned how to help lead a team. I learned how hard work pays off. I learned how to have an opinion and back it up with facts. I learned that it okay to have an opinion. I learned that there was something I was really good at and proved it by bringing home 1st place ribbons from competitions.

I don’t want to get completely dramatic on you…but I honestly have asked myself before where I would be today without that class. If one teacher hadn’t noticed something in me and then handed me over to another teacher who helped shape and form me as a writer and a leader, I don’t know if I would be writing full-time, for a living. When I think about the fact that what I do supports my family, I am blown away. I get chills and it makes me even more grateful for programs like these in school.

kids

And then I look at my own kids. My oldest son is able to hone his craft of movie making because of an extra curricular class. My daughter found her people, her tribe thanks to theater. All three of my kids have learned to love to create through art programs and classes.

Did you know programs like art, P.E., music, tech and drama are being taken out of schools? Did you know they’re underfunded? Do you know how much this frustrates me?!

This is why I have proudly teamed up with Schoola, an ecommerce online thrift store that is also a fundraising platform for schools to raise money to support their school. Schoola’s emphasis is to save programs such as art, music and P.E. They know the impact these have on a child’s development and they’re doing something about it.

Schoola

Here are a few details I want you to know about Schoola:

  • 40% of the proceeds go to schools
  • Their fundraising efforts support programs such as art, music, field trips and physical education
  • By cleaning out your closet, you can help students at the school of your choice. Those clothes you don’t need or wear anymore? They can make a difference.

Here’s how it works and how you can help:

Request a bag using the link here. Schoola pays for the shipping of the bag, so this is completely free for you. Choose a school you want to benefit or you can have Schoola suggest one for you.

I’ve decided to choose the highschool I attended because of the deep impact it had on me.

Not only can you send your clothes to Schoola, but I highly recommend shopping there for clothes for the family. They have quality clothes that are up to 70% off retail value. We received clothes from brands such as J. Crew, Gymboree and Dockers. They were in really good shape and my kids have enjoyed wearing them. With how fast kids grow, it makes sense to purchase them at a reduced price because every bit counts!

For more information on how Schoola works, visit here.

Would you do me a favor and help spread the word about Schoola? Just click to tweet below, or come up with your own tweet using the hashtag #WhyISchoola. Schoola will be selecting at least 5 winners who tweet with thee hashtag and will send them $50 in Schoola credit.

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