At TpT, teachers inspire us every day. In the weeks since widespread school closures began, this inspiration has taken on new meaning. Teachers are stepping up to support students through this crisis — from hosting webinars for fellow educators and parents to holding virtual school-wide trivia events.
I was struck by the way one teacher in our community recently summed up her challenging experience: “My overriding feeling is that in the past few weeks, I’ve worked harder than I’ve ever worked, and accomplished less than I’ve ever accomplished.”
The message is clear — teachers are doing everything they can to help students, but with school closures extending into April and beyond, they will need more help.
As I shared last week, we’ve been blown away by the demand for our offer of free TpT School Access, a school-wide subscription which gives teachers access to a library of more than 3 million teacher-created, teacher-tested educational resources. We’ve onboarded tens of thousands of teachers so far and are working nonstop to get folks onto the platform as quickly as possible. We also rolled out a new Distance Learning Hub where people can access the latest distance learning resources and tips from our Teacher-Authors.
Building on these initiatives, we’re proud to launch the next phase of our effort to help educators during this crisis.
Donation to the TpT Community
Today, TpT is announcing a $100,000 commitment to support teachers, parents, and caregivers who are doing everything they can to support their students.
Starting today, we’ll be distributing these funds to our community through 10,000 gift cards, helping educators quickly access more of the educational resources for at-home learning without paying out of pocket. To enter to receive a gift card*:
- Fill out this form: http://bit.ly/TpTAprilGiveaway
- Winners will receive a $10 TpT gift card*
Sitewide Sale
To help educators make these funds go even further, on Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7, we’ll be hosting a two-day sitewide sale for the full TpT community. This is something our community has told us recently would provide immediate help for educators, and we worked with our Teacher-Authors to make it happen. To participate in the sale on Monday, use FORYOU at checkout to save up to 25% on the resources you need.
A New Tool for Easy Fundraising
Finally, in recent weeks, we’ve seen an increase in teachers’ turning to ClassFund — TpT’s crowdfunding platform — to raise funds for distance learning resources. Once again, we’re so inspired by how teachers are going above and beyond to get the resources needed to engage students in this unique moment.
And it’s clear that parents, families and local communities are eager to support their teachers. Take Lindsey, a 3rd grade teacher from Florida, who raised $300 — triple her initial goal of $100 — in a matter of days.
Now, we’re making this fundraising with TpT ClassFund easier: Starting today, teachers can create a complete distance learning campaign in one click. And as always with TpT ClassFund, TpT will never charge any fees on TpT ClassFund contributions.
As schools close for longer periods of time, our number one priority will continue to be supporting educators. We’ll find more ways we can help. In the meantime, please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.
*No purchase necessary. Enter before 04/06/2020 at 6:00pm ET. Offer good while supplies last on a first-come first-serve basis. Open to U.S., Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand residents only, age 18 and over. Void where prohibited. Additional terms and conditions apply. See full Official Rules here.
