Two years after four Duke students became intrigued with the idea of starting a free school supply warehouse for teachers in Durham, their ambitions are finally being realized.
Crayons2Calculators, the non-profit organization that resulted from their efforts, celebrated the grand opening of a free school supply warehouse in downtown Durham earlier this month.
"We have just so many children that come to school without supplies they need, and our teachers are taking money out of their own pockets to provide for their students," said Steve Schewel, faculty advisor for the program and visiting assistant professor of public policy.
Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Carl Harris, superintendent of Durham Public Schools, were on hand as 40 teachers used the warehouse for the first time to "shop" for free school supplies.
The warehouse, located on East Chapel Hill Street, is currently being leased to C2C by the city for just $1 a year.
"We just got a sweet deal," said sophomore John Mishler, press secretary for C2C. "We really got lucky that the city has this property that it's not using, and now it's going to be a benefit to the city."
Schewel, who is also the vice chair of the Durham Board of Education, originally pitched the idea to students in public policy professor Tony Brown's Leadership, Development and Organizations class.
Four seniors from the class-who graduated in 2006-ran with the idea to form C2C.
Now operated by six students from both Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, C2C estimates that it has given away approximately $12,000 worth of supplies since April 2006, when the program started.
"We don't value education enough and we don't often value our teachers," said UNC freshman Michael Althoff, who will lead the organization next semester. "This program is showing a practical appreciation of teachers. It's a great mission and it can be applied in pretty much any community."
Previously, C2C traveled from school to school to give away supplies, including E.K. Powe, Lakewood and Forest View elementary schools.
"I think especially in light of everything that happened last year... having that physical space in the heart of Durham is emblematic of what good things Duke students are doing for the city," Mishler said.
The opening of the warehouse, however, is not the end of C2C's mission.
Eventually, the organization hopes to establish regular hours for the warehouse, during which any teacher from DPS can come to get needed school supplies, members said.
"The next step is turning the warehouse into a sustainable store," Althoff said. "We're still in that transition."
C2C, whose biggest donor thus far has been Duke University Stores, also hopes to establish contacts with bigger names to collect school supplies and raise funds.
"We're pleased with what we have right now, but in order for this to be a long-standing program... we're going to try and get the support of big stores like Target and Wal-Mart," Mishler said.
Members said, nevertheless, that they have already made remarkable strides.
"I think it's grown so fast because there's a huge need and these students have gone out and done a bang-up job," Schewel said. "What they have done for the Durham community is fantastic."?
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.