Letters to Lowe’s: Teacher-Student Writing Campaign

Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers create an outdoor learning space at Sope Creek Elementary School in Marietta, Ga.

Home improvement company Lowe’s is celebrating 10 years of its Toolbox for Education grant program. It’s giving educators an assignment that involves their students.

Letters to Lowe’s is a writing campaign encouraging teachers to share their students’ ideas on how to improve their schools.

With the help of Kyle Schwartz, who received national attention after tweeting her students’ eye-opening responses to the sentence “I wish my teacher knew,” Lowe’s is inviting educators across the United States to ask their students to write about what their school needs most and submit their responses.

Lowe’s will select 10 finalist schools and then invite the public to vote for which four schools should receive a $25,000 grant.

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“Students have a powerful voice when it comes to education,” said Kyle Schwartz, who teaches third grade at Doull Elementary School in Denver, Co. “Letters to Lowe’s gives teachers an opportunity to empower their students to think critically in a way that helps build a strong learning community and could lead to improving their school.”

Since 2005, Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has funded Toolbox for Education grants in all 50 states, supporting projects such as technology upgrades, playground refurbishments, community gardens and safety improvements.

Toolbox for Education grants are awarded annually in spring and fall. This year the Letters to Lowe’s campaign is offered in addition to the regular fall grants cycle and will include the hands-on help of Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers.

Teachers can submit Letters to Lowe’s on behalf of their students from August 24 through October 2. The public will be invited to vote for the top four schools during the week of Oct. 26.