Teacher Appreciation: Fulfilling Teachers' Classroom Wish Lists

During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-12, 2023), the LCG Foundation launched an initiative aimed to support and recognize U.S. educators. Over the course of one week in May, our small but dedicated team spread joy and helped #ClearTheList for 426 educators, and providing essential resources totaling $51,500.

Fulfilling Classroom Wish Lists

The foundation established a limit of $50,000 for this initiative and committed to helping clear teacher Amazon wish lists by following #ClearTheList on Twitter, and ensuring the teacher community we help manage on Facebook called Nourished Teachers, knew about the opportunity. Typically, each teacher received an average of $120 worth of items from their requested lists. 

Teachers sent so many heartwarming stories and testimonials: 

So, I thought @LCGFound had snagged me some invisible ink pens for next year. I did NOT realize they also got my kids some notebooks, pencils, erasers, AND fidgit toys.

Imagine my surprise this morning! 🤯 My kids are set for writing for next year! pic.twitter.com/TDahaSIzf2

— Mrs. Alexander (@HHAlexanderSC) May 15, 2023

I cannot thank @LCGFound enough for supporting teachers on #TeacherApprecationWeek !! Because of them we now have these containers to create my “sticker store” for students, these sensory stickers which students are going to love, & also some led string lights for my classroom! pic.twitter.com/M2S7Yz7tdG

— ✨ Mrs. Wilson ✨ (@hellomrswilson) May 14, 2023

Thank you so much for purchasing these materials from my list! My students will be thrilled! #TeacherApprecationWeek pic.twitter.com/dbKKTKfna8

— lorene d (@lorene4too) May 13, 2023

Impact

Our team helped clear Amazon wishlists for a total of 426 U.S. educators during Teacher Appreciation Week. We mostly provided teachers with the basic classroom supplies on their wish lists. Paper, pencils, glue, scissors, dry-erase markers, crayons, tissues, books, and snacks for their students were the most consistently requested items. There were also some “dream items” on teacher’s lists and our team was excited to help teachers add to their classrooms: mini-fridges, air conditioners, laminators, tech tools such as AI bots, printers, STEM kits, flexible seating, school gardens, and organizational supplies. 

Although we were able to bring many smiles to teachers’ faces, clearing lists was bittersweet for our team. While it is wonderful to see and hear the impact that our work has on teachers, our team spent hours purchasing essential classroom resources – items that should be accessible to educators. 

It takes a lot of vulnerability for an educator to create and share a wish list asking for help. In fact, most educators do not, and 90% end up spending their own money, which is estimated to be more than $500 every year. To top it off, most teacher wish lists are cleared by other teachers!

Amidst all of the funding swirling around K-12 education, it’s clear that much of it doesn’t make it to the classroom teachers -- the people who need it the most. This bothers me to no end, and it is why we started our foundation -- to help and support educators as much as possible.

As the end of the school year approaches, it’s not too late to show your appreciation for teachers. You can #ClearTheList for teachers on Twitter, reach out to our foundation to help you give back to educators, or deliver coffee and donuts or hosting a pizza party at a local school. Whatever you decide to do, we hope you’ll show support and appreciation for teachers this month and throughout the year.

For more about this giveaway, including reflections from LCG Foundation team members, you can also listen to our podcast episode about this initiative.