The smell of a new book, the crunch of fallen leaves, that fresh box of unbroken crayons — everyone has a favorite sign that the school year is about to begin. Our absolute favorite way to know it’s that time of year? The Back-to-School Boost!
On Tuesday, August 9, every DonorsChoose project received a 50% boost thanks to Bill Gates. Our community came together to give over $7.7M million to classroom projects, supporting more than 29,000 teacher requests in one day.
Teachers, donors, and celebrities flooded social media with excitement and celebration. Feeling like you need a boost in your day? We’ve got you covered! Here are four of our favorite moments from the Back-to-School Boost.
A baseball stadium-worth of donors cheered on teachers by supporting classroom requests
And it was a home run! More than 45,000 members of the public gave, making this one of the biggest days of teacher support since 2019. We’re thrilled to see our community bounce back so strong to help teachers and students thrive.
2,419 teachers had their first-ever project funded
We love welcoming teachers into our community, and we can’t stop cheering for everyone who’s experiencing the generosity of our donors for the first time!
Celebrities joined in on the excitement
DonorsChoose board members and education advocates Yvette Nicole Brown and W. Kamau Bell built momentum for the day by rallying their fans.
Plus, the internet’s favorite grammatician, Grammar Girl, shouted out her support.
Donors and teachers rallied around the basics
Pencils, laminating sheets, and markers were the most funded resources — in just one day, our donors made sure 1,628 classrooms will be stocked with classroom basics when the first bell rings!
Teachers shared what this funding means to them
On top of providing learning resources to students, funding teachers’ requests also gives a big boost of confidence as educators head into the school year! We love showing teachers that we believe in their wisdom and are investing in the success of their students.
The Back-To-School Boost might be over, but we've still got plenty of ways you can support teachers and make your donation go further! Check out these match offers from our partners to increase your impact!
Here’s to an amazing school year! We can’t wait to see what else our community can accomplish.
.png)
.png)
