Third Annual Give 4 Grades Backpack & School Supplies Drive: What Happens When a Community Says “Yes”

Think back to your childhood and the excitement you felt when you went back-to-school shopping. Picking out a new pencil case, choosing your favourite coloured notebooks, and finding supplies that fit your personality all came with a sense of endless possibility and independence. There’s nothing quite like that feeling… except being able to give that same sense of joy to someone else.

Between May and July, our team of volunteers travelled across Edmonton and the surrounding communities, collecting new and gently used school supply donations from families, businesses, and community members who all believed in one simple idea:

Every student deserves to start the school year feeling prepared, equipped, confident, and ready to succeed.

That’s the heart behind Tutor Teach’s Third Annual Give 4 Grades Backpack & School Supply Drive, held on July 30th, 2026.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we donated 58 fully stocked backpacks and 10,537 individual school supply items to our on-going partner, the Bissell Centre, helping equip local students from Kindergarten to Grade 9 with the tools they need to succeed this school year.

From 626 folders and 166 binders, to 280 notebooks , 604 pens, 58 backpacks, and thousands of other essential supplies, every donation represents far more than a material item. It represents confidence, opportunity, and a reminder to every student that their community believes in them.

A Community That Showed Up

When planning began in May for this year’s Give 4 Grades, we had high hopes, but we never could have imagined the incredible response from our community.

From the moment we announced this year’s initiative and set the date, volunteers stepped forward to help collect donations from across Edmonton and the surrounding area. Throughout June and July, our volunteer team coordinated pickups from more than 35 homes and businesses, while our donation box at Edmonton South’s Education Station quickly filled with backpacks and essential school supplies thanks to the generosity of our community.

On July 30, those donations came together in one place. For over four hours, our volunteers sorted, counted, organized, and packed thousands of school supplies. Together, those efforts transformed donations into resources that will help students start the school year feeling prepared and confident.

The most inspiring part wasn’t just seeing the thousands of supplies spread across the tables, it was watching people who had never met before work side by side toward a shared goal, while exchanging stories of hope and encouragement. All who showed up, donated, or spread the word believed in one simple idea:

Every child deserves an equal shot at learning.

"Community support lets us know that we're not doing what we do alone. There's a great need all across the region, and one little organization is never going to be able to tackle this by ourselves. If we're doing that as a community, we're unstoppable."

– Jonathan Mackereth, Development Officer, Bissell Centre

More Than Just School Supplies

At first glance, Give 4 Grades may seem to be just about collecting backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and binders. However, to the students receiving them, it’s about so much more. It’s about the quiet moments that go beyond the donations and the sorting.

It's about walking into the classroom on the first day of school feeling like you belong. It's the excitement of opening a new backpack, the confidence that comes with having the same supplies as your classmates, and the peace of mind that allows students to focus on learning instead of worrying about what they don't have.

For many families, the rising cost of school supplies can create an added financial burden at an already expensive time of year. Through our continuous partnership with the Bissell Centre, every backpack and every individual school supply donated helps ease that burden and allows more students to begin the school year with the tools they need to learn and grow.

As Jonathan Mackereth, Development Officer at the Bissell Centre, shared:

"When we have a partner like Tutor Teach who is able to gather these supplies and put the backpacks together, it takes such a load off of us—and it takes such a load off of the families who might not have access to the funds to buy them."

When communities come together to remove barriers to education, they're doing more than donating school supplies. They're investing in students, supporting families, and reminding every child that they have a community standing behind them.

Thank You to Our Community

Every successful community initiative is built on people who choose to say “yes.” Yes to volunteering their time, yes to donating supplies, yes to supporting students they may have never met.

This year’s Give 4 Grades was made possible by individuals, families, volunteers, and organizations who believed that every child deserves the opportunity to begin the school year with the tools they need to succeed.

To our incredible partner, the Bissell Centre, thank you for your continued commitment to supporting local students and their families and for trusting us to be part of that mission.

To our amazing volunteers, thank you for spending your time collecting donations, sorting thousands of supplies, and bringing endless energy and kindness to this initiative.

To every family who donated and every person who shared our mission, thank you for helping turn small acts of kindness and generosity into a lasting impact.

We’d also like to recognize and thank Education Station for hosting our donation box, Kings Energy Services for their generous donation of backpacks and school supplies, and Pattison Outdoor for not only contributing to the drive but also volunteering alongside us on the day of.

The Story Continues

Three years ago, Give 4 Grades started with a simple goal: help local students begin the school year with the supplies they need to succeed. Three years later, it has become something much bigger. It has become proof of what can happen when an entire community comes together.

Because of you, thousands of school supplies are now on their way to students who need them most. And because of you, thousands of students will walk into their classrooms knowing their community believes in them.

We'll see you again in 2027.

Want To Follow The Journey?

We were honored to have CTV News Edmonton as well as Sherwood Park News on site to help us share the heart behind Give 4 Grades.

You can read the CTV News article here.

You can read the Sherwood Park News article here.

Want to see the joy, behind-the-scenes moments, and the heart behind the mission? Head to our Instagram @tutorteachofficial for photos, videos, and stories from the day.