Kristen Bell Helping Teachers in Need Through Instagram

Actress Kristen Bell is using her social media influence to help teachers in need. 

For the last six months, Bell has featured a teacher's story on her Instagram each week for what she is calling #FeatureTeacherFriday. She highlights what the teacher needs and asks her 12 million followers to lend a hand and purchase items for their classrooms. 

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It’s #FeaturedTeacherFriday 📚❤️!! Brooke emailed me to nominate her friend of 25 years, Emily. She told me that when they set up Emily’s classroom this year, she had little beyond tables and chairs and bought the rest of her supplies herself. SO! Let’s send Emily some love and support! Here’s a little about her: “I’m a first year kindergarten teacher at a small Title I school in Genesee County in Flint, MI. Being a Title I school means that a majority of our students live below the federal poverty line. Some of our families struggle to have their basic needs met. Although most of our students reside in the city of Flint, our school is located in a neighboring town. They ride the bus to school, with the earliest pickup being 5:58am and the latest stop being close to 5:30pm. These amazing kiddos spend a majority of their waking hours at school, or traveling to and from school. This is just one of the many reasons that it is so important to make my classroom feel like a home away from home for my students. We call our classroom our “house” and we are all family. Our rules and routines are centered around being good to each other and supporting each other the way families should. Our mission at Woodland Park Academy is to “Create Relationships to Change the World.” For me, fostering these relationships means giving 100 hugs a day, checking in on older students on my lunch, telling students every day that I love them, and listening when they have something to say. It means never losing sight of how even the smallest act of kindness or understanding may change someone’s life. Our school is small and our teachers have some of the lowest paid salaries in our area. Being a first year teacher in an almost empty classroom has been challenging. However, everyday we try to fill our classroom with curiosity, excitement, and love! Please know that any donations received will directly impact the lives of my little learners and I am forever grateful for the support!!” If you feel inspired to help, her wishlist will be in my bio! 🧠🙏🏻📚❤️

A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell) on Nov 15, 2019 at 3:41pm PST

One teacher, from Belmont, North Carolina, who was featured back in May was truly overwhelmed with the sheer amount of packages she received. More recently, a teacher from Flint, Michigan, Emily Mayberry, received the same level of support. 

Mayberry was flooded with gifts, packages, supplies, and gift cards from her Amazon wishlist. 

"The generosity of others is overwhelming," wrote the school on Facebook. "Gratitude is the quality of feeling and experiencing thankfulness and appreciation. We are beyond thankful and appreciative to Kristen Bell and her #FeaturedTeacherFriday for their outpouring of love, support and dedication by enriching and changing the lives of our students through their generous donations."

To nominate yourself or another teacher, you can send an email to [email protected].