Calgary’s public school board teamed up with sponsors on Thursday morning in a race to provide thousands of students with the tools they need to thrive this school year.
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and its non-profit charitable foundation, EducationMatters, launched another edition of its Pack Hope initiative on Aug. 20 to make supplies more accessible to public school students.
Upwards of 70 volunteers met at the CBE’s Highfield Warehouse and worked in teams at tables set up like factory assembly lines to fill 2,000 backpacks with items such as notebooks, pencils, and binders.
Although this is not the first time the campaign has happened, what was unique this year was the challenge aspect — each table, made up of representatives from sponsors like Suncor Energy, Direct Energy, and Neo Financial, was pitted against the others to the finish line.
In addition to their attending staff lending a hand in building the backpacks, the 11 corporate sponsors helped reach the $100,000 fundraising milestone. Stephanie Washbrook, executive director of EducationMatters, said that they wanted the event to be engaging.
“We always need volunteers to help us build those backpacks,” she said.
“A challenge, we just thought, is a fun way to bring teams together. Great team-building activity, as well as just a great idea to give back to the community.”
The school board said the campaign aims to ensure every student feels accepted in class, regardless of their socioeconomic standing — especially today, when many parents are facing financial barriers related to school costs.
Creating community one backpack at a time
Joanne Pitman, Chief Superintendent of the CBE, explained that the backpacks will be distributed evenly across the board’s 75 schools, and that each parcel has been packed with the needs of elementary, middle, and high school students in mind.
“There’s a lot of thought that’s gone into this,” she said.
“It’s not just about throwing together some backpacks. It’s really about what students need.”
While elementary-aged students receive a portion of their supplies through pre-paid fees, Pitman said that older students often have to rely almost entirely on their families, which can put pressure on parents’ wallets.
“There is a great deal of need out there, and this makes sure that when our students start their first day, they’re ready,” she said.
“They’ve got what they need, and it’s one less thing they need to worry about. It’s also one less thing that our families need to worry about, and that’s an important part because we know there’s a lot of stress on families these days.”
An August 2025 survey conducted by Leger found that a majority of Canadian parents reported that the price of school supplies had increased from the year prior, with 63 per cent noting that these expenses had a significant impact on their household budgets.
Trustee for Wards 11 and 13, Nancy Close, said the event’s turnout was an example of the community coming together to support the people of the future, emphasizing that having each other’s backs is a value that the board strives to uphold.
“Today’s event is a powerful example of what can happen when a community comes together around a shared goal, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to start the school year feeling prepared, confident, and ready to learn,” she said.
“This initiative is also an important reminder that supporting student success is a community effort.”
