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Back 2 School Illinois Launches “We Appreciate Teachers” Statewide Contest to Celebrate & Support Educators During COVID-19

Fifteen Winning Illinois Teachers Will Receive Free School Supplies for their Students

Back 2 School Illinois (B2SI), a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides tens of thousands of deserving kids from low-income families with free school supplies each year to help them succeed in the classroom, is pleased to announce the launch of its 2022 We Appreciate Teachers contest, beginning today. The statewide initiative is designed to celebrate and support Illinois educators, particularly during COVID-19, by rewarding fifteen winning teachers with 30 Back 2 School Illinois kits (full of vital school supplies) for their entire classroom of students. The winners will also receive gift baskets and will be treated to a luxurious evening of champagne and hors d’oeuvres at a Chicago reception on May 2nd.
Anyone can submit a contest application on behalf of a teacher, including the teacher himself/herself. The teacher must be currently employed by a school in Illinois.
To participate, interested parties should complete the online We Appreciate Teachers contest application, or print out and complete the application form off the B2SI website, and then mail it in to B2SI. All applications must be completed no later than April 1st, 2022 and include an essay (250 to 500 words) explaining how the nominated teacher goes above and beyond to positively impact their students’ lives. Winning teachers will be notified by April 11th.
“During these challenging times, teachers have had to work even harder to make sure their students stay connected and are learning,” says Back 2 School Illinois CEO, Matthew Kurtzman, “With our campaign, we are celebrating the creativity, resourcefulness and going above and beyond that teachers have had to do to provide Illinois school children with an education during COVID-19.”
The 2022 We Appreciate Teachers contest is sponsored by Hooters & Lynfred Winery.

About Back 2 School Illinois – The Back 2 School program was launched in 2007 by the Community Currency Exchange Association of Illinois to address the pressing needs of communities and the inequities in educational opportunities for children. In 2015 the nonprofit changed its’ name to Back 2 School Illinois to reflect the work of the organization.
Today, B2SI is the largest free school supplies program in the state, serving children of low-income households and lessening the financial burden for their families. The Back 2 School program has provided more than 300,000 children with their own school supply kit since its inception. The organization’s long-term goal is to provide the more than one million Illinois children from low-income families each year with the school supplies they need to succeed in the classroom.
In the summer of 2018, B2SI launched Back 2 School America, which is aimed at providing Back 2 School kits to children across the USA.
For more information and for details about upcoming events, please visit www.b2si.org.

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