Education and fashion. At first glance they are two separate entities, but leave it to a social entrepreneur, Stacey Boyd, to make these two worlds collide to create fabulous deals on top clothing brands that helps benefit schools in need.
Former teacher and principal, Stacey Boyd created Schoola.com, a retail and fundraising site offering deep discounts for shoppers - and to raise money for schools nationwide, including the Malala Fund, which helps support girls’ education projects around the world.
Background
In 1997, Stacey built an inner-city charter school from the ground up. A year later it was one of the highest performing middle schools in Boston. Stacey saw firsthand how children who struggled in math could come alive in music class. How art, physical education and foreign language could have a profound effect on students. She also saw how hard it was to get funds to support these programs. And how easy it was for the programs to get cut.
Dedicated to putting paintbrushes, books, baseballs and violins back into the hands of children, Stacey launched Schoola in the 2012-2013 school year. A few innovative schools took the call to run a clothing drive during the last (and busiest) week of school. Parents sent in their gently used clothing. We listed the clothes on our site at amazing prices. And schools received proceeds from every item sold—money that funds all those programs so critical to the success of our kids. A win for all.
Schoola
Today, Schoola is 100+ employees working to support 20,000 schools. Together with thousands of community members & customers, they bring new paints to art classes, new instruments to the orchestra, new books to the libraries. Quality clothes get a second life. Parents help parents. Schools help schools. And students get the tools they need to realize their full potential at school.
Top brands Gymobree, Tea Collection, ModCloth and Athleta have donated thousands of new-with-tags items – from kids clothing to cocktail dresses, workout apparel and warm winter coats to be sold on Schoola.
Additionally, Schoola offers gently used children’s and women’s clothing with $2 out of every $5 purchased supporting schools nationwide. Items are donated by everyday people and then listed at Schoola.com at prices that are a fraction of their original cost – up to 70% off retail. Quality clothes from dozens of top name brands such as Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Guess, get up-cycled and schools receive proceeds from every item sold.
Fashion may not have been Stacey’s first passion but there’s no denying the positive impact it has had on her life and the educational community at large.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else right now. Schoola has given more than a million items of clothing a second life, and in turn given new life to underfunded programs at schools.” said Stacey, “I’m in my sweet spot.”
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