Community Backpack Project

GPB EDUCATION

GPB EDUCATION LAUNCHES COMMUNITY BACKPACK

GPB Education has launched a multi-faceted outreach and awareness initiative in five communities across the state that have been strategically chosen according to their location and socioeconomic data, including neighborhoods in Bibb County, Muscogee County, Fannin County, Jackson County and Atlanta.

As part of the campaign, GPB Education is working with community partners, including the Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GaFCP), to distribute 3,500 backpacks that contain learning activities, school supplies and information on how to access GPB Education and PBS Kids content (English and Spanish). Additionally, GPB Education has created a new webpage at gpb.org/education/welcome, which helps serve as a guide to its website content. The target age will be Pre-K and Kindergarten students.

Volunteers assemble backpacks for students in five Georgia communities.

“We know all families want to support their child’s learning and development at home but may not necessarily have the tools and resources they need,” said GPB director of education Laura Evans, “With the help of our amazing network of community partners, this initiative allows us to put high-quality, research-based learning resources directly into the hands of families who need them most.”

In addition to the distribution of backpacks in the communities, GPB Education is conducting targeted canvassing in under-resourced neighborhoods to let parents/caregivers know about the resources and encourage them to explore materials appropriate to the grade level of their children.

Statewide, these efforts are being supported by GPB Education Outreach Specialists who help educators and families integrate digital learning into the education of the children in their care through informational sessions, professional development workshops and ongoing support for educators and schools as well as libraries, teaching museums, childcare centers and Head Start programs.