Emily Skopov had no idea a family dinner would change her life and the lives of millions of underprivileged children.“ On the night of my son’ s birthday in August 2011, at our local Red Robin— one of his favorite restaurants— we had given him his first electronic handheld game as a birthday gift, and let him bring it to dinner,” she says.
Consequently, this was the first time her son didn’ t use the crayons that came with the kids menu.“ When I tried to give the crayons back to the waiter, he told me they don’ t take crayons back once they’ ve been set on a customer’ s table— regardless of whether they’ ve been used,” says Skopov.“ I have several public school teachers in my family and have worked or lived in or near areas of poverty in New York and California. I knew there were countless children who couldn’ t afford crayons for both their own creative or recreational use, or as part of their academic pursuits.
“ Most people don’ t think about it, but crayons are actually a required school supply beginning in preschool through elementary and occasionally middle school,” she continues.“ There are children who cannot complete school assignments and homework because they don’ t have crayons.”
Skopov spoke to Red Robin’ s manager that evening, and asked him if he’ d be willing to start setting aside the crayons— rather than throwing them in the trash. He agreed and even offered to call other area Red Robin managers to participate.
And so, No Crayon Left Behind( NCLB) was born. The 501( c)( 3) nonprofit organization sorts through the crayons to remove those that are damaged or broken. The brand-new or like-new crayons are sorted by color and put into small bundles. Those that are in poor condition are melted down in molds and formed into brand-new crayons.
“ We currently receive hundreds of thousands of crayons each year, and rely on a steady stream of volunteers to sort and bundle the crayons.” notes Skopov.“ We also use volunteers to assist with melting down and making new crayons.”
Initially, as the founder( now Executive Director) of NCLB, she began by distributing the crayons to individual facilities and organizations, including daycares in economically struggling areas, homeless shelters, shelters for abused women and children, or after-school programs for children struggling with poverty. Many of the crayons went to other nonprofits working with children and families in poverty.
“ As my list of donor restaurants grew, I sought larger ways to distribute,” says Skopov. She found The Education Partnership, which provides free school supplies to a growing list of schools in the region.“ We’ ve donated hundreds of thousands of crayons to The Education Partnership over the years, which then go to our public schools in the most economically depressed communities.”
NCLB also distributes throughout the country via a partnership with World Vision, which provides them to several domestic distribution sites around the U. S., and it has recently formed a partnership
with Brother’ s Brother, which will be sending the crayons overseas. NCLB has already sent hundreds of thousands of crayons to countries on every continent, fielding requests from volunteers of numerous organizations who work in those locations. To date, Peace Corps Morocco has been the greatest overseas recipient, using crayons to educate men, women and children in remote villages throughout the region.
“ Almost anyone can volunteer,” notes Skopov.“ We’ ve had folks as young as age 3, and as old as 90.”
The staff and volunteers of NCLB have diverted close to two million nonbiodegradable crayons away from landfills, instead distributing them to individuals and groups who will cherish them.“ Our work shows how easy it is to make a big impact on people’ s lives, as well as the environment,” says Skopov.
NCLB’ s belief in the critical importance of art in the development of a child is also at the heart of its mission.“ A crayon is often the first means by which a child experiences the incredibly powerful practice of self-expression and creative expression,” explains Skopov.“ Crayons are often used in the preverbal stage, and children who still cannot speak are able to communicate something using a simple crayon. Using a crayon, a child brings something tangible into the world that wasn’ t there before, and that’ s hugely empowering. Artistic expression at a young age also helps a child access their own imagination, which is a critical part of cognitive development.”
She adds,“ Ensuring that children have the most basic supplies assists in providing them the tools they need to be successful in school and alleviates a major source of stress.”
Sewickley Daisy Girls volunteer with No Crayon Left Behind.
NCLB doesn’ t discriminate, and donates to any organization that serves underprivileged children and organizations that are struggling with budgetary and financial challenges.
“ Sewickley is a fantastic community that values art, culture and philanthropy, so naturally it’ s the perfect location for NCLB,” says Skopov.“ The community also believes in the importance of public service and the role of nonprofits. It’ s been extremely welcoming.”
She plans on continuing NCLB’ s growth to become a regional organization, then national. While its reach is already global, the intention is to expand the donor base to all 50 states and create numerous distribution hubs.“ We want people to understand that a simple crayon holds tremendous power,” says Skopov.“ When you see adults in other countries use a crayon for the first time, or a child make their very first drawing with a crayon, no further explanation is needed— the significance of those experiences are crystal clear.”
For more information about No Crayon Left Behind, visit nocrayonleftbehind. org. n
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