When we surveyed teachers across the country who participated in DonorsChoose during the 2024–25 school year, we found that on average, teachers spend $655 of their own money on school supplies for their students. Teachers shared that if it weren’t for DonorsChoose, they’d be spending, on average, over $1,400 out-of-pocket on school supplies.
“The need to support our teachers is stronger than ever,” said Tina Hsing, the Director of Panda Cares, in a recent interview with Globe Newswire.
Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, is committed to serving their communities by providing food, funding, and disaster relief to kids in need. For five years, DonorsChoose and Panda Cares have been teaming up to put dollars directly into nearby classrooms in the form of teacher-requested materials. Through our partnership, teachers get the resources they need to be as effective as possible, students have more opportunities to learn, and members of the public know they’re making a difference.
The impact has been tremendous — $15 million in Panda Cares donations funded over 40,000 teacher requests. Students at more than 13,000 schools have benefited from this support, and we’re grateful to Panda Express and the customers that support Panda Cares for making this impact possible.
Read on to see how Panda Cares donations turned into magical moments of learning for four classrooms across the country!
Ms. Donna grows her students’ connection to nature in Brooklyn
At Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School, every kind of weather is a chance for play and for learning — especially rainy days. “Rainy days are an especially amazing learning experience,” says Ms. Donna, “from exploring cause and effect by jumping into puddles, to making hypotheses about why all the worms have come up, to gaining a better understanding of volume by collecting rainwater in different vessels!”
But not every student has access to the raincoats, rain suits, and rubber boots that would allow them to explore nature safely, no matter the weather. So Panda Cares, along with eight other donors, stepped in to take Ms. Donna’s project across the finish line.
Now, her Pre-K classroom has a collection of waterproof suits to help her students connect with nature all year long!
Mrs. Jina Kim inspires with color in Santa Clara, CA
So many of us learn best by doing — and adding a little color! For Mrs. Jina Kim’s elementary school, their morning meeting routine is a fun, inspiring way for them to use colorful dry-erase markers to participate in writing activities and put their thinking caps on. Panda Cares and 5 other donors pitched in $605 so Mrs. Kim could purchase a fresh set of art supplies in lots of different colors, more whiteboards for drawing, and plastic bins to store them.
“I love seeing my students make academic gains,” says Mrs. Jina Kim, “and I hope that I can continue to do so by providing them with learning activities and materials that will allow them to be motivated and to be actively involved in learning.”
Mrs. Solis builds a safe haven in Saint Paul, MN
Like many educators, Mrs. Solis didn’t want her elementary school classroom to be a room where students felt “stuck” all day. Instead, she wanted to make a space where everyone can feel safe, welcome, and inspired to learn. Building a safe haven is even more important this year, where she’s blending her existing 5th grade class with a new group of 4th graders to make a split-grade classroom.
With the help of Panda Cares and other generous donors, Mrs. Solis was able to buy plush pillows, cute lamps, and decorations that make for a cozy woodland theme where learning feels approachable, comfortable, and fun.
“We’re thrilled to help support this wonderful teacher and her project,” says Panda Cares. “Every teacher should have access to classroom furniture for their students!”
Mrs. Sautter helps her band class thrive in Buckeye, AZ
Mrs. Sautter’s middle schoolers love playing music with their friends. They love it so much, the band program is growing and growing! There’s only one problem: there aren’t enough music stands to go around.
“Two students sharing a stand is normal, three to a stand is difficult, and four to a stand is impossible,” says Mrs. Sautter. “We need to get more music stands so everyone can confidently and comfortably see their music.”
Enter: Panda Cares and our incredible donor community. $883 in donations and 10 brand new music stands later, Mrs. Sautter is seeing a difference.
“These are beautiful, solid, sturdy music stands, and they are the ones my band students want to grab first,” she says. “I don’t worry anymore if students are able to see their music comfortably at the combined rehearsals and concerts. Those extra 10 stands are exactly what we needed.”
The learning magic doesn’t stop here!
Explore even more projects funded by Panda Cares this year: visit their campaign page to see how Panda Cares supported a classroom near you!
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