St. Augustine, Fla. – August 1, 2024 – The St. Johns County Education Foundation, Inc. which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), recently received a generous donation of $10,000 from THE PLAYERS Championship to benefit the education foundation’s Tools 4 Schools program. Tools 4 Schools provides essential classroom supplies to teachers and students in St. Johns County public schools.

“Thanks to the generosity of our partners and fans, THE PLAYERS is able to support our community by providing teachers with essential supplies for academic success. We hope this donation marks the beginning of a fantastic year for all students and teachers,” stated Emily Bellock, Senior Director of Community Outreach, THE PLAYERS.

According to a 2023 national survey conducted by AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers across the country spend an average of $860 out of pocket on school supplies for their students and classrooms. The purpose of INK!’s Tools 4 Schools program is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for educators and provide the supplies necessary for student success.

“INK!’s Tools 4 Schools program launched 15 years ago to provide public school teachers in St. Johns County access to free school supplies for their students,” said Newman.  “During the school year, teachers are invited to order classroom supplies through INK!’s online store every month.  When an order request is received, INK! staff and volunteers fill the request and deliver supplies to teachers at their schools,” she said. 

“During the 2023 to 2024 school year, INK! staff and volunteers filled and delivered more than 2,200 supply orders for classrooms in St. Johns County valued at over $135,000,” she said. “We estimate the out-of-pocket savings to teachers will be approximately $150,000 during the 2025-2024 school year.”

Newman added, THE PLAYERS donation will help INK! replenish inventory for high demand items including notebooks, glue sticks, pencils, crayons and markers, as well as more expensive items such as scientific calculators, USB storage drives, and binders.

The St. Johns County Education Foundation, Inc., which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), promotes success for all St. Johns County public school students and teachers by providing innovative programs, teacher support, and classroom resources to benefit more than 52,000 students and approximately 3,200 teachers. INK! is a 501(c)3 education foundation with offices located at 1 Christopher St. in St. Augustine. For more information, contact Cathy Newman at [email protected] or 904-547-7120 or visit the website at www.ink-stjohns.org.