Every student has potential waiting to be discovered. Sometimes, unlocking that potential begins with something as simple as a pencil, a notebook, or the materials that allow a curious idea to take shape.

Last month, Kids In Need Foundation’s 2026 Teacher Insight Survey captured the voices of more than 7,400 educators and reinforced what we see every day: school supplies do far more than fill a backpack. They help students feel prepared, confident, included, and empowered to participate in their own learning.

But the impact doesn’t stop there. The right resources can create a ripple effect — inspiring curiosity, encouraging discovery, and giving students the opportunity to see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and changemakers.

At Achieve Language Academy, that ripple began with donated supplies in the hands of one dedicated teacher and a group of curious students. What started as a local science investigation grew into an immersive underwater experience that transformed how an entire school understood their connection to the world around them.

Their story is a powerful reminder that beneath every supply is a possibility waiting to be unlocked.

Beyond the Backpack: The Ripple Effect of Opportunity

When students at Achieve Language Academy set out to create an immersive underwater ocean experience for their school, they weren’t just building a project—they were bringing learning to life.

Led by science teacher Emily Vondriska, students collected and filtered water samples from Beaver Lake, right in their own backyard,  before examining them under a microscope. What they found was startling—in a single two-inch filter, they found hundreds of pieces of microplastic—sometimes more than 300 in a sample.

The discovery sparked a wave of questions. If microplastics were showing up in the lake just steps from their school, where else might they be found? In drinking water? Water bottles? Everyday products? And if every stream, river, and lake is connected, where does that pollution ultimately end up? As students traced the journey of water from Beaver Lake to the ocean, they realized something powerful: what happens in their own community can have an impact far beyond it. Eager to share their newfound understanding of the connection between local waterways and the health of oceans worldwide, they set out to help others see how small actions close to home can create ripples across the globe. 

To bring their vision to life, students created an immersive underwater ocean exhibit using donated materials from Kids In Need Foundation’s Teacher Resource Center, including recycled corrugated paper rolls and other repurposed supplies. “Without those materials, we would have had to purchase them ourselves, and it would have used a huge portion of our budget.” Ms. Vondriska shared. 

The exhibit invited students throughout the school to step into an underwater world and discover how pollution travels through interconnected waterways. Kindergartners gazed up in amazement at a life-sized 26-foot whale, their eyes wide with wonder as they moved through the display. For many, it was their first glimpse into a world beneath the waves. Older students left with something equally powerful—a deeper understanding of their connection to the environment and the inspiration to make a difference in their own communities. 

For Ms. Vondriska, that’s what science education is all about.

“I want students to develop critical thinking skills, but I also want them to feel empowered,” Ms. Vondriska said. “I tell them not to absorb information like a sponge—I want them to ring it out like water. Take what you’ve learned, share it with others, and do something with it. I want them to realize they can be advocates, that they have the power to make a difference, and that simple actions can create a huge impact.” 

Their hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Competing against schools from across Minnesota through Conservation Minnesota, Achieve Language Academy’s Conservation Crew earned the People’s Choice Award—an honor voted on by the public and a remarkable achievement for one of the smallest schools in the competition.

But perhaps the greatest accomplishment wasn’t the award itself.

It was the agency students gained by seeing that their ideas mattered, their voices could educate others, and their actions could create change.

This is what Beyond the Backpack is all about.

When students have access to the resources they need, they gain more than materials. With the guidance of a great teacher, they also gain opportunities to explore, create, problem-solve, and lead.

Embodying our belief at KINF that these may seem like simple supplies. But in the right hands, they can become something extraordinary.

Why Back-to-School Summer Donations Matter

For many students, the school year doesn’t begin on the first day of class—it begins months earlier, when classrooms are stocked, backpacks are filled, and teachers prepare spaces where every child can feel ready to learn. That’s why summer is one of the most important times of year for Kids In Need Foundation.

Every donation made during the summer helps ensure essential school supplies reach classrooms before the first bell rings, giving teachers the resources they need to welcome students with confidence and helping children and their families start the year prepared to learn from day one.

This year, corporate partners like BIC and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers are making that possible in meaningful ways. Through its nationwide Bring Joy, BIC to School campaign, BIC is donating a minimum of 3 million writing instruments through KINF’s Buy a BIC, Give a BIC initiative while serving as the national sponsor of KINF’s Supply A Teacher program, helping deliver more than 10,000 classroom supply boxes to educators across the country. The campaign also includes the Supply Ride Bus Tour, bringing free teacher shopping experiences directly to communities while raising awareness of the school supply gap.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is proving that small acts of generosity add up to extraordinary impact in education. Thanks to guests who rounded up their purchases, the company’s latest campaign raised more than $375,583 to help provide essential school supplies to students and teachers in under-resourced schools. Every rounded-up purchase represents another classroom better equipped for learning and another teacher who doesn’t have to shoulder the cost of supplies alone. With this year’s campaign now underway, we’re excited to see that momentum continue and grateful for Freddy’s ongoing support in creating even more opportunities for students and teachers.

Together, these partnerships demonstrate what’s possible when companies and communities invest in education. Because when students have the tools they need before the school year begins, teachers can spend less time worrying about missing supplies and more time creating welcoming classrooms where every student has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

Help More Students Discover What’s Possible

Every child should have the opportunity to explore, create and believe in what they can achieve. Every teacher should have the resources to turn curiosity into confidence and learning into lasting impact.

Your support helps make those opportunities possible. Together, we can ensure more students walk into classrooms ready to learn, dream and discover their potential.

Give today and help put possibility into the hands of the next generation of learners, creators and leaders.