How Five Below and Corporate Partners Delivered Joy to Minnesota Teachers

Every year, Thanks a Million! is built around one simple idea: teachers deserve to be celebrated in a way that matches the magnitude of what they give every single day; to reflect the immense impact they have on their students and within their communities. 

This year we wanted to make the celebration more meaningful than ever before. 

For the first time, we proudly hosted our most highly-anticipated event of the year in our new headquarters in Little Canada–-a space designed not only to distribute supplies, but to further support educators with moments of joy, connection, creativity, and recognition. 

As National Teacher Appreciation Week began, 1,000 teachers from across Minnesota walked through our doors for Thanks a Million! presented by Five Below—each one winding down on another school year filled with early mornings, stretched budgets, and unwavering dedication to students. What greeted them was more than an event. It was a reminder that their work matters deeply, and that an entire community sees it.

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At its heart, Thanks a Million! has never just been about supplies. It’s about what those supplies make possible.

This year, as 1,000 educators walked through the doors of our Little Canada headquarters for Thanks a Million! presented by Five Below, the building was turned into something vibrant, joyful, and deeply meaningful. Aisles buzzed with conversation. Volunteers helped teachers load carts overflowing with classroom materials. Laughter echoed between booths, prize drawings, and shared moments of celebration. But beneath all of the excitement was something quieter—and far more important.

For one day, the care and generosity teachers so often give to others was being poured back into them. Teachers being poured in to for a change.

For many educators, the daily reality of teaching means constantly adapting to changing learning conditions, stretching resources, and finding ways to make sure students never feel the weight of what may be missing. One teacher shared that having access to classroom supplies changes everything for both students and educators alike:

“It makes it possible for me to be able to do what I do in class, without having to worry about how am I going to do this or that. It also saves me time and resources, without having to run out to get them, or ask around to borrow from another colleague. Most importantly, it allows for me to focus on the lesson plans and learning targets that I want students to achieve.”

Another teacher reflected on what it means when students know their needs will be met;

 “They have a sense of relief. They know that being able to have the supplies they need will guide them in the classroom and lift a weight they often have no control over.”

That’s the true impact of a day like this.

Yes, teachers explored new interactive experiences from partners like Asmodee and Dixon Ticonderoga. They wandered through Book Fair Alley, gathered in the Cub Foods backyard food area, and celebrated alongside more than 70 local and national companies who came together to recognize their work. They entered drawings for Alaska Airlines tickets, classroom book sets, hotel stays, Target gift cards, author visits, and more. But still, the most meaningful part of the day wasn’t the prizes or even the supplies themselves.

It was what those supplies represented.

In a single day, more than $1 million in classroom supplies, gifts, and resources were distributed to educators serving under-resourced schools across Minnesota. And while those supplies will soon fill desks, backpacks, reading corners, and classroom shelves, their impact reaches much further. They create breathing room for teachers. They create confidence for students. They create classrooms where students can focus less on what they are missing and more on what they are capable of becoming.

As one teacher shared:

 “I love where I work, because of the students… I want them to have the best experience possible, and to show them what’s out there.”

That’s what Thanks a Million! continues to celebrate—not only the work teachers do, but the powerful ripple effect created when entire communities come together to stand beside them. That spirit could be felt in every corner of Thanks a Million! this year—and it’s exactly why this event continues to matter so deeply.


 
Five Below Highlight

During this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, we celebrated the extraordinary impact Five Below continues to make for teachers and students nationwide. As the presenting sponsor of our annual Thanks a Million! event, Five Below helped turn appreciation into action and meaningful support.
Under a rainbow arch of balloons, the Five Below team welcomed teachers with smiles, school supplies, and moments of joy that captured the spirit of the partnership perfectly—creating an atmosphere of encouragement, excitement, and appreciation that reminded educators they are seen, valued, and supported.
What makes this partnership especially meaningful is that it extends far beyond a single celebration. For the past eight years, Five Below has helped expand Kids In Need Foundation’s reach nationwide—providing more than 2.8 million backpacks to students who need them most, representing over $14 million in support, including 579,000 backpacks in 2025 alone. Because of this generosity, millions of students have started the school year prepared and confident, while teachers have the supplies they need to help their classrooms thrive.
Their investment supports programs like Teacher Resource Centers and Supply A Student, ensuring classrooms remain stocked, supported, and ready for learning throughout the year. 
As John Caruso, VP of Brand Marketing at Five Below, shared:
“Five Below helps provide backpacks for kids in need across the country and supports teachers who often spend their own money to create meaningful classroom experiences. Our brand is committed to fostering a fun, inspiring learning environment that helps unlock educational opportunities for every student.”
Because of partners like Five Below, we’re able to reach more classrooms, support more teachers, and create moments of encouragement and appreciation at scale.
We are deeply grateful for Five Below’s partnership and proud to work together to help bring more joy, creativity, and inspiration into classrooms nationwide. 













Finding Creativity, Connection, and Community Through Learning
There’s something powerful that happens when educators gather together—not just to learn, but to reconnect with the heart of why they teach.
Recently, teachers from across the community came together for a special professional development event featuring bestselling author, educator, and storyteller Matt Eicheldinger. Known for his humor, authenticity, and ability to find extraordinary meaning in everyday moments, Matt brought that same energy into a hands-on session titled Sketchnoting: A Visual Approach to Research. 
The free workshop, which also offered CEU credits for attendees, introduced educators to the creative practice of sketchnoting—a dynamic approach to visual note-taking that blends illustrations, keywords, and structure to help students better understand, retain, and express information. More than just a strategy for the classroom, the session encouraged educators to think differently about how students learn and how creativity can unlock confidence and engagement.
For Matt, the event represented something even deeper.
“There is nothing better than getting together with other educators because you get a really good sense that the world’s going to be okay,” he shared. “It’s nice to gather with teachers and learn from each other because oftentimes as a teacher you’re siloed in your own classroom. You don’t really get an opportunity to show the things you’ve created yourself.”
He also reflected on the importance of making opportunities like this accessible to teachers.
“Oftentimes, teachers have to pay for their own professional development in order to upkeep their license. So by providing this free of cost, it’s less stress for us on doing the things that we love doing—which is teaching.”
That spirit of connection and shared learning resonated deeply with attendees, including Amanda Campbell of Maxfield Elementary, who described the workshop as both inspiring and affirming.
“A takeaway for me today was looking at different ways to assist students in accessing information and retaining it and explaining their thinking,” Amanda shared. “For too long, in my mind, note-taking has looked one specific way. I really appreciate having a different option for students that can tap into creativity and different ways of thinking.”
Amanda also reflected on the value of gathering with fellow educators from different schools and communities.
“I always appreciate opportunities to learn with other educators,” she said. “It’s a reminder of how small the world is. We all have different experiences, but we’re doing the same thing in different spaces. It’s wonderful to make those connections and see so many people come on their own time just to continue learning for their students.”
Moments like these are a reminder that when educators are supported, inspired, and given space to collaborate, the impact reaches far beyond a single classroom. It strengthens entire school communities—and ultimately creates more engaging, inclusive learning experiences for students everywhere.
To learn more about Matt Eicheldinger and follow his storytelling, humor, and classroom inspiration, visit matteicheldinger.com and follow on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @matteicheldinger.