NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Teachers put in a lot of time and money to make sure students succeed. Buying classroom supplies can really add up, but thankfully there are resources to help.
On Thursday, the PENCIL resource center will celebrate a huge milestone of giving away $20 million in school supplies to Metro teachers since it opened 18 years ago.
The DG PENCIL Box in West Nashville allows teachers to come once a month at no cost and stock up on basic supplies.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been a sponsor since 2022 and has been crucial to achieving this milestone.
Last school year, nearly $3 million of supplies were distributed through teacher shopping, pop-ups, giveaways and even through school deliveries. It’s made PENCIL the largest distributor of free school supplies in the state.
Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
