August 18, 2023 – It was a party at Peace Haven on Friday morning as Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and its community partners brought back the back-to-school pop-up shop.

Every student who visited the shop got to choose a backpack and fill it with markers, crayons, glue sticks, pencils, and other school supplies. Organizers and donors worked together to figure out what supplies were most needed in the district’s classrooms and make them available to families who may not otherwise have what they need on the first day of school. Hopefully, these efforts will minimize any supply deficits that could keep students from learning to the fullest at the start of the new school year.

“Our purpose here today is to create more access for our families in need,” said Volunteer Coordinator Terry Matthews. “And thanks to the help of our community partners, everything has been paid for.”

The pop-up shop is a particularly helpful resource for families who don’t natively speak English. Multilingual learning staff were present at the event to answer questions for these families, not only about getting their supplies together, but also about what the Multilingual Learners program can do for them and their students. ML Parent Engagement Manager Nareny Martinez appreciated the platform the shop gave her team to offer these families clarification at what can often be a very stressful time of year.

“They’re asking about open houses, about school supplies, about interpretation services, and they’re getting answers to all of these questions,” Martinez said.

The event was made possible through collaboration between WS/FCS and SPARK, CLASS, Image Works, PepsiCo Adelante, the School Health Alliance, Food Lion Feeds, La Princessa, Mobile Arcade, Bellomy, and Wake Forest University. A high degree of partner engagement led to this year’s shop being bigger and better than ever, including food and games that turned the event into a big block party for the families who attended. Image Works even sponsored a farmer’s market so families could bring home fresh produce in addition to their school supplies.

“It makes a huge difference for these families to go home knowing that they have food to feed their families beyond lunch today,” said Suzanne Carrano from Image Works. “They really appreciate it.”

WS/FCS is grateful for all of the dedicated partners who go the extra mile to make sure as many students as possible get off to a strong start this school year.

“Partnership is key,” said SPARK Executive Director Amber Harris. “It’s so great to be able to partner up and help ease some of the anxiety that these families feel before the first day of school.”