LOGAN SQUARE — The second day of school will be a special one at Monroe Elementary this year.
Students are in line to get free backpacks filled with school supplies at an assembly Wednesday afternoon — all thanks to Office Depot.
The office supply giant is donating to the school as part of its Start Proud! program, which was “created to make a substantial difference in the lives of deserving students, parents and teachers at schools across the country by ensuring they receive the supplies they need to succeed,” according to a news release.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson is slated to join Monroe principal Bryan Quinlan and Office Depot representatives at the assembly, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m at the school, 3651 W. Schubert Ave.
Office Depot said it plans to donate 1,000 backpacks — filled with notebooks, pencils, glue and folders — to Monroe.
One “exemplary” Monroe teacher will also get $1,000 worth of school supplies at the assembly. The rest of the teachers will get pallets full of supplies “to help them start the year off right,” according to the release.
The company also plans to donate an additional 1,000 backpacks to other Chicago Public Schools throughout the school year, according to an Office Depot spokeswoman.
Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.