beyond the backpack advisory committee

National Parent Teacher Association® (PTA®) comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.
Learn more at www.pta.org

ASCD, a nonprofit, worldwide education organization with over 170,000 educator members, began its Whole Child Initiative in 2007 to encourage schools and communities to move beyond a narrow curriculum and accountability system and, instead, work together to ensure that each student has access to a challenging, comprehensive curriculum in a healthy and supportive climate. The association is joined by a diverse group of over 50 partners from leading education, health, arts, and civic organizations who have signed on to further the initiative.
Learn more at www.ascd.org

The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The CDF provides a strong, effective, and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. The CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown.
Learn more at www.childrensdefensefund.org

You can also bid on celebrity-designed and Dora-inspired backpacks, auctioned off here. 100% of the U.S. proceeds will benefit CDF, and international proceeds will go towards childhood education. Bid now!

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. At DonorsChoose.org, public-school teachers from across America post classroom project requests that range from pencils for a poetry writing unit to violins for a school recital. Individuals can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires them. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school and donors receive photos and thank-you letters directly from the students. Their vision is a nation where students in every community have the resources they need to learn.
Learn more at www.DonorsChoose.org

The National Children's Museum (NCM), which is scheduled to open in 2013, will be a world-class cultural and educational center dedicated to engaging children and empowering them to make a difference. The mission of the NCM is to inspire children to care about and improve the world. Through its interactive exhibits, online community, and unique national programs and partnerships, the NCM is transforming the concept of a traditional museum by becoming a catalyst and forum for a national movement to inspire and empower kids to speak up, take action, and get engaged in their communities. Through 2013, the NCM is operating as a Museum Without Walls, participating in a variety of community events and working with other arts and cultural organizations to develop creative partnerships that benefit kids and families.
Learn more at www.ncm.museum

National Head Start Association is a private nonprofit dedicated to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. Representing more than one million children, 200,000 staff, and 2,600 Head Start programs in the U.S., the association advocates for policies that strengthen its services, provides extensive training and professional development, and develops and disseminates research, information, and resources.
Learn more at www.nhsa.org

Reach Out and Read (ROR) is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. ROR builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early-reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The 3.9 million families served annually by ROR read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.
Learn more at www.reachoutandread.org