what we dO

back2school project provides essential school stationery and backpacks to primary-aged students in auckland who are doing it tough. Here’s how:

1

IDENTIFY

We work closely with schools and social services to identify students in need. The schools then provide us with each child’s unique stationery list, dependant on what their classroom requires.

2

CHOOSE

Each child is given the chance to choose their very own backpack from our Backpack Catalogue. They can also provide us with their favourite colour so that our team can best cater their kit to them.

3

pack

Our team stocks, shops, checks, packs, and checks again every single backpack kit to ensure the young learners have exactly what they need. From start to finish, each backpack will be cared for by at least 10 volunteers.

4

deliver

Before their first day of school, we will deliver the backpacks directly to the school. The kits are then quietly distributed to the students so that they are ready to walk into school confidently from day one.

packing week

What is Back2School Project’s Packing Week? This is our favourite week of the year! Packing Week is the time when all of the tools are in one place, when the kits get made, and when the beginning of the year backpacks are delivered. This is the time when the impact is seen.

year-round support

“We have 2 new students starting with us tomorrow. They have no bag, stationery or uniform. Is it possible to get a backpack and stationery please?”

Requests like these from schools and social services come to our inbox year-round. Hardships know no bounds, it doesn’t have a timeframe. The hardship may be a death in the family, relocation, domestic violence, pandemics or natural disasters. Whatever it is, Back2School Project is prepared to equip the young learners quickly and efficiently—with the same care and attention as our January class—so that they can jump straight into learning. We believe that this is crucial for building a safe and consistent place (school) for a child whose world might be anything but that.

Three boys with backpacks standing outdoors on a sidewalk near a grassy area with trees and a wooden fence.

tailored to them

A backpack with a camouflage pattern featuring video game controllers, placed on a numbered parking space marked '3', with a blue hat on top, on a concrete surface near a white fence.
Person organizing teal and purple notebooks for Back2School Project's Packing Week where they pack backpacks

what goes in each backpack?

This is our most asked question! The truth is that just like students, no two backpack is the same. Each backpack is packed with the child’s exact stationery list. Thanks to out friends at Henry Shein NZ, each kit also includes an oral hygiene pack. We then offer schools a choice of 2 ‘extras’ for their kids. A complete backpack kit looks a little something like this:

  • Unique Backpack

  • Custom Stationery Kit

  • Oral Hygiene Pack

  • Body Soap

  • Hat & Towel OR Lunchbox & Drink Bottle

  • Bag Tag With Their Name

A collection of school supplies, including notebooks, colored pencils, a ruler, and highlighters, held by hands against a light-colored background.
Pink backpack with unicorn, rainbow, and heart designs, containing a purple water bottle. In front, there is a partially visible Colgate toothpaste bag and a small box of toothpaste.

‘the backpack shop’

the importance of choice

For many of the young learners we support, having the opportunity to choose their own backpack for school is rare. We believe that this choice is more than a new bag, but a sense of ownership and confidence when they head into the new school year.

our solution: the backpack catalogue

This is a digital catalogue of all the backpacks we have on offer for the new school year. We send this to each of our schools, where each student we support can choose their favourite bag on offer. We also ask for the students’ favourite colours so that we can best pair any coloured items available with their unique tastes.

An outdoor scene showing a woman smiling next to a large collection of colorful backpacks arranged outside a building on a sunny day.

why students love the backpack catalogue

Two young girls with backpacks standing in front of a backdrop with text that reads 'Back School Project', 'Hope is a Verb', and the number 2. One girl is wearing a peach backpack, a pink t-shirt, and black shorts, and the other girl is wearing a mint green backpack, a pink tie-dye hat, and red top.

local school dp

“It’s not just ‘here’s something for you,’ it’s ‘here’s what you wanted.’”

Three young girls with backpacks standing in front of a backdrop that reads, 'Back to School Project' and 'Hope is a Verb'.

local student

“I got to do this last year and it’s so cool. Every time I use my books, I think it’s like Christmas.”

local teacher

“Another boy who was part of last year loves his bag so much he only ever wants the same bag. (He would only choose that one)”

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