A new community project launched by the Rotary Club of North Delta is making sure local students have the supplies they need for school, and the club is looking to expand the initiative next school year.
North Delta Rotary volunteers designed the Magic Pencil project in partnership with Delta School District staff to address the growing number of families struggling to pay for their children’s back-to school expenses.
Launched this school year, the Magic Pencil project provides North Delta elementary and secondary students with school supplies.
“Ensuring our students have the appropriate school supplies is very important in order for them to achieve success. The Rotary Club of North Delta has been instrumental this year in helping to fund school supplies for a number of the students in our district,” Kirsten Hermanson, district manager for the Delta School District, said in a press release.
District staff estimate that the annual cost of school supplies averages $100 for elementary students and $150 for youth in secondary school, noting each school and class has unique needs. Small funds in each school will enable school staff to purchase the supplies their classes need.
“The Rotary Club of North Delta is proud and honoured to have the opportunity to champion the Magic Pencil program. Having the appropriate school supplies helps set students up for success,” club president Jon Marks said in a press release.
Funding for a pilot project was provided via a Community Prosperity Fund grant administered by the Delta Community Foundation on behalf of the Vancouver Foundation, Community Foundation's of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.
“The Delta Community Foundation is proud to support school initiatives in Delta. We recognize the importance of having the proper supplies for our children and rely on partnerships, with organizations like Rotary, to identify the greatest needs in the community,” DCF president Gillian Lowrey said in a press release.
Rotary volunteers are currently fundraising and applying for grants to continue and expand the scope of Magic Pencil. To date, the club has secured $20,000 in grants to ensure that Magic Pencil is available during the upcoming 2025-26 school year.
"Our goal is to ensure that no student in the 14 public elementary and the five secondary schools in North Delta struggles in school due to the lack of school supplies," reads a club press release.
