Partnership Helps Ensure Students across 20 Underserved Communities
Have the School Supplies They Need to be Successful in the Classroom.
American Eagle Outfitters and STATE Bags announced today that together
they will donate 20,000 new STATE backpacks to students across 20
high-need communities served by Teach For America. The partnership
equips students in traditionally underserved areas with the supplies
they need to enter the classroom ready to learn.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150806005433/en/
For each STATE backpack sold, AEO will donate one filled with school supplies to a student in need through Teach For America (Photo: Business Wire)
STATE Bags, a national one-for-one benefit corporation that works to
create a positive impact on American children, donates one bag to a
child in need for every bag purchased. Now through October 10, 2015, for
every STATE backpack purchased in American Eagle Outfitters stores, one
backpack will be delivered to a student in schools where Teach For
America corps members and alumni are serving.
“The opportunity to support thousands of children impacted by Teach For
America educators with a leg-up of a donated bag is exactly why we
created STATE Bags,” said Jacqueline and Scot Tatelman, founders of
STATE Bags. “Every child should start the school year with the essential
tools for success, and we're ecstatic that we can help level the playing
field.”
In New York and Los Angeles, participating schools will receive their
bags during special STATE bag drop events – motivational rallies led by
STATE’s dedicated team of “PackMen” and "PackWomen" that leave
participating kids with a renewed spirit and belief in themselves.
PackMen and PackWomen are experienced child development specialists who
grew up in low-income neighborhoods themselves and serve as role models
and mentors. Bag delivery methods will vary across the other 18 regions.
“We are honored to be working with Teach For America and STATE Bags on
this inspiring campaign,” said Chad Kessler, American Eagle Outfitters
global brand president. “American Eagle Outfitters and our customers are
eager to make a positive impact in the lives of 20,000 students in need.
Our associates are also donating thousands of school supplies to stuff
into the backpacks to help the students get their school year off to a
great start.”
In addition to purchasing bags to support students, American Eagle
Outfitters customers can donate at the register to support Teach For
America. Funds will be matched by American Eagle Outfitters – up to
$100K – to help Teach For America recruit, train, and place committed
individuals to serve in our nation’s highest-need classrooms and open
doors of opportunity to students.
“We’re grateful for the partnership of American Eagle Outfitters and
STATE Bags in equipping students in the communities we serve with
essential classroom tools,” said Molly Friedland, senior managing
director of national corporate partnerships at Teach For America.
“Students in low-income communities face many barriers in their pursuit
of an excellent education, and having the proper means to carry one’s
school supplies doesn’t have to be one of them. This partnership will
help give students a strong start when they enter classrooms this fall.”
Across
the country, 1 in 3 low-income students do not graduate from high
school, and just 9 percent of students from the lowest-income
communities will graduate college by age 25. Teach For America is
committed to giving all children equal access to a high-quality
education, regardless of their zip code, by enlisting our nation’s
future leaders to serve as classrooms teachers for an initial two-year
period and go on to become lifelong advocates in the movement to spread
educational opportunity. The 2015-16 school year marks Teach For
America’s 25th anniversary – for the first time, the nonprofit’s corps
members and alumni will number more than 50,000.
About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO) is a leading global specialty
retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and
personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle
Outfitters® and Aerie® brands. The company operates more than 1,000
stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong and the
United Kingdom, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its
websites. American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie merchandise also is
available at 115 international stores operated by licensees in 19
countries. For more information, please visit www.ae.com.
About STATE Bags
STATE is a one-for-one Brooklyn born benefit corporation whose mission
goes beyond selling cool and classic bags. Founded by Jacqueline & Scot
Tatelman in 2013. Jacq and Scot are the definition of social
entrepreneurs as the two created Camp POWER in 2009, a nonprofit summer
camp for at-risk Brooklyn children. After watching countless kids
carrying their necessities in trash bags, STATE was born. STATE
addresses the immediate needs of American children living with
challenging and critical circumstances. For every bag purchased, STATE
hand-delivers one to an American child through its motivational bag drop
rallies. #GiveBackPack
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand
educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty.
Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps
of outstanding college graduates and professionals to make an initial
two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong
leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. Today, 10,600 corps
members are teaching in 50 urban and rural regions across the country
while more than 37,000 alumni work across sectors to ensure that all
children have access to an excellent education. Teach For America is a
proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more
information, visit www.teachforamerica.org
and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150806005433/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2015