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Our Story

Helping teachers around the country get the supplies they need for the improvement of public-school education and the support of educators.


Though there are many problems in our education system, one of the most pervasive and challenging problems is teachers are not given the funds they need to properly equip their classrooms.  This is especially true in today’s world as education budgets have been slashed across the country.

The truth is, teachers receive small budgets, which means the majority of our educators are forced to dig into their own bank accounts to purchase learning materials for their classrooms.  In fact, in 2018, 94% of U.S. teachers reported spending their own money on school supplies with the average amount totaling a whopping $479.


Making Teaching Materials Accessible and Affordable

At Pass the Apple, our goal is to help take the financial burden off of our nation’s hardworking educators. We are doing this by offering classroom supplies that teachers need at an affordable price.  We know teachers want to give their absolute best to their students and they should able to do this without breaking the bank.


Our Unique Story

We are proud to say that our business is women and minority owned. Pass the Apple was founded by Yolanda Terry in 2015 with the mission to help take the financial burden off of all of America’s underpaid teachers.

After receiving her degree in Early Childhood Education from Tennessee Tech University, Yolanda started teaching at a Title I elementary school in rural Tennessee. What most people don’t know is that most Title I schools are severely underfunded with a majority of them only receiving $14 billion in funding per year. Though this may seem like a lot of money, teachers are still having to pay for classroom supplies out of their own pockets.  Yolanda realized that meant she had only $500 to spend on supplies for her classroom (and that was for the entire school year)!

By the end of her first year of teaching, Yolanda had taken on credit card debt (in addition to her student loan debt) in order to properly equip her classroom. She continued working in those conditions for five years before she transitioned to teaching Technology to grades K-5 and Gifted in Virginia.

While in Virginia, Yolanda decided she wanted to make a difference in the lives of her fellow educators. Shortly thereafter, Pass the Apple was born as a way to connect teachers directly to the supplies they need to support their students’ passion for learning without having to take on additional debt.


Our Partnership:  The Giving Tree

Pass the Apple is dedicated to providing educators with the resources they need and deserve. One very exciting way that we are improving the resources that teachers have access to is through our partnership (known as The Giving Tree) with DonorsChoose.org.

 

DonorsChoose.org is an amazing charity that allows teachers to request funding for their classrooms and educational projects. Teachers can ask for anything from art supplies, to new microscopes, to funding for a class field trip, and donors are then able to make a charitable gift by donating to the schools, teachers, and projects that matter most to them.

 

This wonderful organization started back in 2003 by Charles Best, who secretly funded the first ten projects on his own. Since then, DonorsChoose.org has been named one of the fifty most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company, and it has gained the support of many well-known celebrity endorsers such as Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Colbert, and Bill and Melinda Gates.


Rewarding Outstanding Work by Giving Back

We believe the people at DonorsChoose.org are doing excellent work and we want to do our part to help fund as many projects as possible. That’s why every time you make a purchase on Pass the Apple, you’ll support DonorsChoose.org.