Appreciating Our Educators and Caregivers: Our First Annual Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Month
At the Undie Chest, we firmly believe in the power of appreciation and recognition, especially when it comes to those who dedicate their lives to nurturing and educating the younger generation.
As we gear up to celebrate the first annual Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Month, we are thrilled to extend our heartfelt gratitude to teachers and the often unsung heroes of the school community—school nurses.
Why Extend the Appreciation to School Nurses?
Teachers play a crucial role in shaping young minds, and school nurses are the silent guardians ensuring the well-being and health of students. Their unwavering commitment, care, and expertise in maintaining a safe and healthy environment within educational institutions often go unnoticed.
Hence, we have put our own spin on Teachers Appreciation Week and dedicated an entire month to celebrating and honoring their contributions and those of school nurses.
The Barbara J Birks Above & Beyond Award
Our efforts this month don’t end with a simple nod to our teachers and school nurses. Through our work with Title 1 schools and our Everyone Deserves Underwear (E.D.U), we’ve had the pleasure of meeting teachers and school nurses who go above and beyond to help students facing hardships navigate challenges confidently and succeed academically and personally.
Witnessing teachers' incredible impact on future generations and considering the personal reasons why our Executive Director, Elaine Birks-Mitchell, feels strongly about their importance is why we've decided to launch the Barbara J Birks Above & Beyond Award.
The Above and Beyond Award was created to honor Barbara J. Birks, mother of Founder Elaine Birks-Mitchell, who passed away on January 3, 2024, in Gilbert, AZ. This award aims to recognize teachers and school nurses who have gone the extra mile in serving their students and community.
It is a token of our appreciation for their outstanding dedication, compassion, and innovative approaches towards education and healthcare.
How You Can Support Teachers and School Nurses
Nominations will open in August 1, 2024, and you can vote for a teacher or school nurse who you believe deserves recognition for their hard work and commitment. However, during Teachers and School Nurses Appreciation Month, we kindly ask for donations to enable recipients to enhance student programs or services or to indulge in well-deserved pampering.
Unfortunately, our work through our E.D.U program needs support year-round as we have only covered a minor portion of Title 1 schools here in Arizona. We hope to expand our reach across the US so that every child has equal opportunities to thrive at school.
Your contributions support our efforts to recognize and reward deserving teachers and school nurses with financial grants.
If you're residing in Arizona, The Undie Chest is a recognized Qualified Charity Organization (ID: 22654). In Arizona, you can utilize a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your state taxes for donations made to The Undie Chest, with a limit of $400 for single filers and $800 for married couples filing jointly.
Nominations will be accepted launch August 1, 2024- October 4, 2024! Here is a link to the nomination guidelines. For 2024, the nominations will be open to AZ teachers and nurses only.