ICYMI: Union County High Schools Collecting School Supply Donations

High schools throughout Union County have begun collecting and distributing donated school supplies to help students in need.

The campaign, called “Donate to Educate” – Schools Supplying Schools, was founded by a group of high school students in the second annual Union County STEP (Student Training and Enrichment Program) summit in 2014, according to Union County officials. The summit is a daylong event bringing high school sophomores and juniors together to practice leadership skills and develop civic projects that engage the community.

“In the first annual UC STEP our students set a high bar, and I’d like to thank this year’s participants for coming through with another worthy project,” Union County Freeholder Chairman Mohamed Jalloh said.

During the spring, students at participating high schools will be organizing activities to publicize the campaign and encourage donations. Additionally, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Union County will be partnering in “Donate to Educate.”

“UC STEP provides a way for young people from different parts of Union County to work together as a team, and pull the whole community together with them,” Freeholder Linda Carter, who developed UC STEP as Chairman in 2013, said in the release. “It is a tremendous learning opportunity for the students and for all of us.”

A number of high schools throughout the county are participating in the campaign. The school currently participating include Academy for Performing Arts, Academy for Allied Health Sciences (both part of the UC Vo-Tech school district), Arthur L. Johnson, Barack Obama Green Charter, Cranford, Governor Livingston, Jonathon Dayton, Linden, Plainfield, Roselle Catholic, Summit, UC TEAMS, Union, and Union Catholic.

Each school has a drop-off box for donations. Drop-off boxes are also located at the County Administration Building and other locations throughout Union County.

To find the nearest drop-off box, visit this interactive map.

For more information, visit the Union County website.

(Image courtesy of the County of Union)