Office Depot Launches Programs to Help Teachers, Schools and Students Go ‘Back to School Proud’

Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP) today announced the launch of a number of programs to make it easier for teachers and schools to create classrooms they can be proud of and give their students the best opportunity to succeed this back-to-school season.

According to a 2018 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, 94 percent of public school teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies and resources. On average, a teacher will spend $479, although 7 percent spent more than $1,000.

“The divide between the haves and have-nots in our schools grows every year. Schools are trying to do more with less, and teachers are spending more of their own money on back-to-school basics – pens, notebooks, art supplies and the like,” said Jerri DeVard, chief customer officer for Office Depot, Inc. “That’s why we want to support teachers and school administrators who work so hard to create an optimal learning environment for our children.”

For the 2019 back-to-school season, Office Depot is supporting teachers, parents, and schools with programs that celebrate the critical roles they play in the lives of students, to help them unleash their potential and start the new school year feeling confident and proud. Office Depot also provides the opportunity for customers to give back. These programs include:

Teacher Savings: Beginning Sunday, July 14 through Saturday, Sept. 28, teachers will receive 20% back in Rewards on qualifying in-store purchases when they present a unique coupon, a valid teacher ID and Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards number at checkout. The coupon will be available online at officedepot.com/teachers beginning July 14.

Teacher Celebration Breakfasts: Designed to recognize the hard work and devotion that teachers provide, Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores will host celebratory breakfasts for teachers in July and August. New teachers who enroll in the Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards program on the day of their event and present a valid teacher ID will get $5 in rewards added to their account. For details, teachers are encouraged to contact their local store.

Start Proud!: For the second year in a row, Office Depot’s Start Proud! program will foster brighter beginnings for schools in low-income communities nationwide and give students, parents and teachers the supplies they need to start the year confident, prepared and proud. This year, Office Depot associates, in partnership with Boise Paper and Domtar Paper, will fill 18,000 backpacks with essentials like notebooks, folders, pencils and glue, and distribute them to students at Title I schools during 18 celebratory assemblies at the beginning of the school year. Parents at each of the selected schools will receive a $20 Office Depot gift card to purchase additional supplies for their child throughout the year. In addition, teachers at each of the schools will receive pallets of classroom supplies, donated in part by their neighbors through Office Depot’s in-store school supply drive program. Additionally, one very special teacher will be honored at each Start Proud! assembly with over $1,500 worth of premium supplies to thank them for their extraordinary efforts in the classroom.