Materials Mobile
Connecting educators with materials that inspire reuse in the classroom!
The Materials Mobile is a mobile pop-up shop that brings the most needed classroom supplies directly to local schools. Busy educators can “shop” for the high quality, gently used classroom supplies they need right from where they already are at no cost to them. And all while keeping usable materials out of the landfill!
How to apply for and schedule a visit
Submit a visit request and the scholarship application, if applicable.
We’ll contact you and schedule the visit for a date and time that works best for your school.
If you submitted a scholarship application, we will review it and award a scholarship based on need. If you did not apply for a scholarship or were not awarded a full scholarship, your school, PTA, or other support organization will pay the visit fee of $350.
How a visit works
We load up our Materials Mobile trailer with shelves full of donated school and creative supplies.
We bring the Materials Mobile to your school and set-up ‘shop’ in your school.
Teachers select any and all materials they can use for their classrooms (there’s no limit!), all at no cost.
ACR and our dedicated community are disrupting the cycle of under-resourced classrooms, ensuring students have access to the materials they need to be successful while returning tens of thousands of dollars worth of benefits back to the community.
Stationery items (notebooks, paper, etc.)
Writing utensils
Creative materials
Real items/ Dramatic play items
Classroom decorations
The Materials Mobile has loads of useful items! We typically bring items in the following categories:
Program Impact & Testimonials
“ACR is uniquely positioned to do this work to make Austin a more sustainable and equitable city where ALL children have what they need to thrive. Thank you for partnering with us, ACR!”
“It was very fun to go shopping! Thanks for bringing all these supplies directly to us at school!”
More Information & FAQs
Eligibility & Where We Go
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All schools pre-K through high school, public, private and charters all qualify for a visit. Reuse is for everyone, and we want every student, well resourced or not, to learn the value of reuse and conservation - so apply for a visit today!
The Materials Mobile can also attend professional trainings with multiple schools in attendance. Essentially, it is intended to go where teachers already are so that we can best serve them.
To ensure we reach the most students and teachers possible, we do not visit schools with fewer than 200 children or 15 teachers or homeschools.
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The application should be completed by a teacher, campus leadership, school staff, or PTA officer - essentially someone acting in an official capacity for the school.
We encourage parents or community members who want to arrange a Materials Mobile visit to share this link with the school so they can apply directly.
All visits require written approval from campus leadership before being confirmed, but this may be obtained after the application has been completed.
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We can typically travel up to 20-25 miles from ACR’s creative reuse center in East Austin (78723) for school visits. Longer distances may be possible for multiple schools in one trip or for a larger event. Please email us at educators@austincreativereuse.org to talk more.
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We request a minimum of 15 teachers per event to ensure that we can have the largest impact possible, and there is no maximum!
There is also no limit the amount of materials that teachers can take from the Materials Mobile!
Visit Fee & Scholarships
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The Visit Fee is typically paid by the school or its PTA or other support organization. Parents or community members can also sponsor a visit for their school.
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The Visit Fee covers the staff time and gas needed to complete a visit, as well as upkeep costs, such as vehicle maintenance and insurance. However, the materials themselves are always free, and the fee does not change based on the amount of materials taken by teachers during a visit.
By helping to cover the costs associated with a visit, schools that pay the Visit Fee help ensure that the program can continue to serve our schools in the most need.
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We award need based scholarships to ensure that under resourced schools get the materials they need! We asses need based on title 1 status, student SES and more. When you complete your application, be sure to mark that you need to apply for a scholarship, then complete the separate application that will be immediately emailed to you from Airtable Automations.
If your school is not eligible for a full scholarship, we encourage you to ask your PTA if they can help fund the visit, even if your school can not.
Logistics & Other Questions
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We show up at your campus with a trailer full of goodies and set up at the location of your choice. Everything is on wheels so we can set up anywhere with at least 10’x12’ of space. Teachers come out to “shop” for the materials that they need. We ask teachers to fill out a short form so we can track our impact. Teachers can take whatever materials they can use without paying a dime. Visits typically last two hours (45 min set-up, 1 hour ‘shopping’ window, 15 min clean-up).
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In our experience, the best time to schedule a visit is when teachers are already gathered. Before and after staff meetings and during staff development days are great times to schedule a visit.
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Most of the supplies on the Materials Mobile are set based on what teachers most need and what ACR has available from our community of donors, but if you have a particular need indicate that on your request, and we will do what we can!
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For most of the year the Materials Mobile focuses on distributing materials, but near the end of the school year, we switch our focus to partnering with schools to keep the materials they no longer need out of the landfill. Check out our School Supply Collection Drive page to learn more.
Support the Program
Volunteer
We are in need of volunteers to help run the Materials Mobile! As a volunteer you will help restock the shelves, come along on visits, or even drive the truck! Apply to become a Core Volunteer to get started.
Donate
Financial donations are the best way to ensure the Materials Mobile Program lives on and continues to serve teachers for years to come. Only $10,000 in dedicated funding would keep the Materials Mobile on the road for an entire school year. If you are able to contribute to making reuse dreams come true, please make your financial donation here.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The Materials Mobile is made possible by a generous grant from Impact Austin.
Additional support has been provided by The Junior League of Austin, Ridwell and the AmeriCorps VISTA Program.
