College students equip young learners

According to the National Retail Federation, families with school-age children will spend an average of $483 on back-to-school items, up 7.2 percent from last year.

For many Spokane parents it’s difficult to provide anything more than paper and pencils for their children.

Several organizations have tried to ease this burden.

Students and staff of the University of Phoenix in Spokane delivered bins of school supplies and backpacks for students at Garfield Elementary last week.

The university representatives received a standing ovation from the staff at Garfield gathered for a back-to-school meeting.

The university waived student application fees of $110 so that their students could bring an equivalent value in school supplies.

“For the better part of July and August, more than 100 students brought in school supplies. The (university) students contributed whatever they could,” said campus director Paul Green.

Green said they picked Garfield because they were aware of a need there.

Garfield Principal Joann Ekstrom thanked the university on behalf of the staff and students. According to Ekstrom, 70 percent of the children at Garfield qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.

The university hopes to make this an annual event.

“This really fits with the mission of the university,” said Green.

Other groups around town also are collecting school supplies for needy students.

Rotary of Spokane North set a goal of providing supplies for 300 Holmes Elementary students.

The Downtown Rotary Club 21 and Avista offered help for students at Stevens Elementary. The Rotary purchased $2,500 worth of school supplies, and Avista set a goal of collecting 150 backpacks, 300 folders, 300 dozen pencils and hundreds of other supplies.

Washington Trust Bank hoped to collect more than $2,000 in supplies for Regal Elementary students.

Sears Marketing Center provided $2,000 worth of supplies for the students at Bemiss Elementary.

Program brings trees to libraries

Beginning Monday, children in grades K-8 are invited to visit any Spokane Public Library branch and participate in the annual Read for Trees program.

Co-sponsored by the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department and Spokane Public Library, the program encourages children to read more about trees and their importance to the environment.

Jim Flott, Spokane’s urban forester, will be on hand at the special library program to teach children about trees.

The programs will include stories and crafts.

In addition, the Washington region of the company Boise will give each student a tree seedling to plant at a location of their choice.

The free programs are scheduled at the Eastside Library, at 4 p.m. Monday; Indian Trail Library, at 4 p.m. Tuesday; Shadle Library, 4 p.m. Wednesday; South Hill Library, 4 p.m. next Thursday; Hillyard Library, 4 p.m. Sept. 17; and Downtown Library, 11 a.m. Oct. 2.

In memory of former Spokane resident Susie Stephens, Read for Trees participants will plant six trees near Spokane Public Libraries between Oct. 18-29. The trees will be donated by the Susie Stephens Memorial Fund.

Stephens was a transportation expert killed by a city bus in St. Louis, Mo., in 2002.

Children will vote for which species of trees will be planted at each library.

For every book read between Sept. 13 and Oct. 13, a child will receive one vote.