School Is Cool in its 16th Year
Program expanding to meet growing needs
CSU volunteers stuffing School Is Cool backpacks.
School Is Cool is a program organized and managed by Colorado State University employees with generous support from the Bohemian Foundation, Colorado State University Bookstore, and Norlarco Credit Union. The CSU community provides school supplies to less fortunate students in the Poudre School District. Besides ensuring the students have the supplies they need, the program strives to build self-esteem - an important factor to academic success.
Supplies designated for specific grade levels are delivered to PSD school principals or counselors who discreetly distribute the supplies to those students in need. They, in turn, discreetly distribute the backpacks to those students in need.
For just $20, you can help make a local student's educational experience more successful. This amount will sponsor a backpack filled with school supplies specifically designated for that student's grade level.
Demand for supplies up over last year
School Is Cool is expanding this year to include PSD high school students to address the growing need of this population. According to a recent report complied by the Fort Collins Coloradoan, childhood poverty trends in Fort Collins have doubled in the last five years.
In the 2006-2007 school year, more than 6,000 elementary and junior high PSD students participated in the free and reduced lunch program – an alarming increase from 4,100 in 2005-2006. Current indications from recent PSD school surveys show that more than 2,000 students will need assistance next year – the program’s target for 2007.
Since 1992, School Is Cool has assisted more than 14,500 children. Last year the program provided 1,753 students in 36 schools with supplies.
