Panda Express® Donates $2.2 Million towards Classroom Resources for Schools through DonorsChoose
ORGANIZATION: DonorsChoose
DATE:
In its fifth year of partnership with DonorsChoose, Panda
Cares has funded over $15 million in classroom resources for schools in Panda
Express® communities
New York, New York, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Today, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, is
donating a total of $2.2 million to U.S. public school classrooms through
education nonprofit DonorsChoose. Each DonorsChoose project in a Panda Express®
neighborhood will receive up to $1,200 to fulfill teachers’ resource requests
for their students.
Public school teachers who responded to a DonorsChoose survey said that they annually spend, on
average, at least $600 of their own money on school supplies for their
students. To ease this burden on educators and get resources to students, Panda
Cares is launching its fifth year of partnership with DonorsChoose.
“The need to support our teachers is stronger than ever,”
said Tina Hsing, Panda Cares Director. “Partnering with DonorsChoose aligns
with Panda’s mission of inspiring better lives. It’s our privilege to help
provide the necessary tools for our youth to thrive and for our teachers to
teach.”
Since 1999, Panda Cares has raised over $415 million for the
health and education needs of underserved youths. With DonorsChoose, Panda
Restaurant Group has matched donations to projects focused on the classroom
environment, funded Lunar New Year projects fostering greater cultural
understanding of the holiday, and funded projects fueling academic success at
schools in local Panda Express neighborhoods. Since its first partnership with
DonorsChoose in 2021, Panda Cares has funded over $15 million in classroom
resources for 31,000 teachers at over 13,000 U.S. public schools, particularly
schools where more than half of students are from low-income households.
“Panda Cares is making it easier for public school students
across the U.S. to have what they need for the best education,” said Alix
Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. “Panda Cares stands in solidarity with its
neighborhood schools. By reaching a milestone of funding more than $15 million
in classroom resources on DonorsChoose, Panda Cares is underscoring the
importance of empowering educators and students in our local communities.”
ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 6.3 million people and partners have contributed $1.7 billion to support over 3 million teacher requests for learning resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the teacher, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.