The ongoing partnership between Panda Cares® and DonorsChoose has so far reached students from low-income households in more than 1,800 local Panda Express neighborhoods
NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In time for the Back-to-School season, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, announces new initiatives, donating a total of over $3.5 million to U.S. public school classrooms through education nonprofit DonorsChoose. Starting today, Panda Cares and the nonprofit platform are together matching $750,000 in donations made to DonorsChoose projects requesting classroom furniture - the first ever DonorsChoose partnership to fund this resource on the nonprofit's website. Later this month, Panda Cares will also begin funding $3.2 million in DonorsChoose projects focused on academic success at schools in local Panda Express neighborhoods.
Classroom furniture is one of the top resources that teachers request through DonorsChoose. Panda Cares' donation will help make an impact on teacher retention by improving the classroom environment. According to a study by the University of Michigan, having a funded project through DonorsChoose makes a teacher 22% less likely to leave in a given school year. This study also found that the rate of retention is strongest for classroom furniture requests.
In a second initiative launching next week, Panda is uplifting its local communities by committing $3.2 million to support classrooms within the zip codes of Panda Express locations. This donation will go towards schools across the country that serve a majority of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch – an indication of economic need.
"Our partnership with DonorsChoose helps bring to life the Panda Cares mission of creating brighter futures and opportunities for children," said Dr. Peggy Cherng, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group. "Every day and in each of our communities, educators do the incredible work of teaching, guiding, and inspiring the next generation; and it is our privilege to help provide the foundational resources that will allow them to build up their learning environments so that students and teachers alike can thrive."
Since the first partnership in 2021, Panda Cares has committed over $12.9 million to support classrooms across the country, particularly at schools where more than 50% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch or where more than half of students are from low-income households. In addition, Panda Express partnered with DonorsChoose earlier this year to fund teachers' Lunar New Year projects to provide resources needed to foster greater cultural understanding and bring the vibrant holiday to life. Thus far, Panda has supported over 23,000 teachers at over 10,000 schools across the United States through DonorsChoose.
"Panda Express is empowering its local communities through the teachers who are educating the innovators and creators of tomorrow," said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. "Through this partnership, Panda is helping to make this back-to-school season that much easier for teachers who want to provide for their students a robust education and engaging classroom environments."
ABOUT PANDA CARES®
Powered by 50,000 associates of Panda Restaurant Group, Inc./Panda Express®, the organization's philanthropic arm Panda Cares® is committed to bettering the health and education of youth as well as supporting communities in need. In 1999, Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. created Panda Cares to live into its mission of inspiring better lives by giving back to its local communities and shaping a brighter future for generations to come. Through volunteer services, funding, and meal donations, Panda Cares has raised more than $329 million dollars since its establishment, impacting over 15 million youths and counting. Areas of focus include leadership and academic programs for students, life-saving medical equipment and advanced health treatments. For more information, visit http://www.pandacares.org.
ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 5.8 million people and partners have contributed $1.5 billion to support over 2 million teacher requests for learning resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the teacher, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit http://www.donorschoose.org.
Media Contact
Juan Brizuela, DonorsChoose, (212) 239-3615, [email protected], http://www.donorschoose.org
SOURCE DonorsChoose
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