Materials Mobile

Curious about the Materials Mobile? Check out these Q&As:

What happens during a visit from the Materials Mobile?
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 indoors or outdoors. 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.

This sound great! How do I schedule a visit?
Pop on over to our Materials Mobile Visit Request Form to - you guessed it! - request a visit from the Materials Mobile to your school.

When’s the best date and time to schedule a visit?
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. Visits are available between 9 am and 5 pm, Mondays through Fridays.

Who can request a visit from the Materials Mobile?
Materials Mobile requests should be made by someone acting in an official capacity for the school. This can include a teacher, principal, vice principal or other administrator, librarian, support specialist, PTA officer, etc. 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 the approval of the school’s principal, vice principal or an equivalent administrator.

What kinds of schools can request a visit?
All kinds of schools - public, private and charters all qualify for a visit. We serve schools from pre-K through high school and everywhere in between.

How far does the Materials Mobile travel?
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.

Does the Materials Mobile only go to schools?
The Materials Mobile is intended to go where teachers already are. Most of the time that means the school where they teach, but it could also include a district-wide training, off-site PD and more. Please email us at educators@austincreativereuse.org to see whether your next event qualifies.

If the materials are donated, why is there a fee to have the Materials Mobile at my school?
We are ever so grateful to our wonderful community that donates their discarded materials to ACR for programs like the Materials Mobile. It costs ACR about $325 every time we put the Materials Mobile on the road. This includes staff time, gas, and repair, maintenance and insurance costs on the vehicle, but doesn’t include the costs of the materials themselves.  By helping to cover these ongoing costs, schools that pay the Visit Fee help to ensure that the program can continue to serve the next school.

Who pays the Visit Fee?
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.

What if we can’t pay the Visit Fee?
High need / low resourced schools can request full or partial financial support through the Pay It Forward Scholarship Fund to cover the cost of the visit. Just make a note in your Visit Request Form or email us at educators@austincreativereuse.org to talk more.

Is there a minimum number of teachers per visit? What about a maximum?
We request a minimum of 15 teachers per event to ensure that we can have the largest impact possible. There is no maximum. Just make sure the approximate number of teachers you list on your request form is accurate so we know to bring extra materials.

Can school administrators get supplies from the Materials Mobile? What about parents?
School administrators and support staff are welcome to collect materials when we visit your school. Parents are typically not included, but they can support their teachers by contributing to the Visit Fee.

Can I request specific materials from the Materials Mobile?
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 just send us an email at educators@austincreativereuse.org before your visit and we’ll see what we can do.

How often can you visit my school?
During periods of high demand, we request one visit per semester, please.

Can the Materials Mobile also collected the supplies we no longer need?
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.

I love this program. How can I make sure it keeps going?
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.

If you are interested in supporting the program with your time and talents, consider becoming a Core Volunteer! We need dedicated (volunteer twice a month) volunteers to help us restock the trailer, bundle materials, and accompany us on visits.