National Crayon Collection Month in August makes a point of ensuring every child has this essential school supply. National Crayon Collection Month draws awareness to the environmental and social impact of throwing crayons away while students across the country go without crucial classroom supplies.

 

Collecting gently used, but discarded restaurant crayons was the brainchild of Crayon Collection, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to redirecting mountains of much-needed (and non-decomposing) crayons from landfills to schools. 

 

Throughout the month of August, families and teachers are encouraged to ask managers of kid-friendly restaurants to save their discarded crayons.  At the end of the campaign, they can return to the restaurant, collect the restaurant’s saved crayons and donate them to their local schools. Bringing all those simple but brightly colored art tools to classrooms will free up teacher resources and place them into the hands of children who might have gone without.

 

This makes a great family project, school service club drive, or young philanthropy lesson. Anyone can participate and all efforts benefit local schools and students in need. 

 

Share photos of your collections and art by using #GotCrayons on social media to encourage others to participate and to show how simply you can gain access to thousands of crayons. Make a difference in the lives of children and the environment simultaneously! 

 

Jeanni Ritchie is a former educator and contributing journalist. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.