Masks for Schools: September 2021
UPDATE 10/05/21: We have been completely overwhelmed by the response to our 2021 giving program, and all 20,000 donation masks have now been claimed. While we hunt for a community partner to help us re-launch our free mask program, we are offering a 20% mask discount to any Alberta teacher with a valid school board email address. Click here for details.
We launched our first Masks For Schools campaign this time last year. You purchased, we donated, and in the year that’s passed, almost 30,000 masks have made their way to kiddos who needed them.
Now - yes - here we are again. In preparation for the 2021 back-to-school season, we’re launching mask donations for teachers, who know their individual classrooms' needs best.
Why?
Many teachers are purchasing masks for their classrooms. With the Edmonton Public School Board mandating masks in classrooms this fall, face masks for kids will continue to be required. However, with so many Canadians experiencing economic hardship since the pandemic’s onset, it can be difficult or impossible for families to invest in high quality cloth face masks. Many teachers have told us that they are purchasing masks themselves to have extras on hand - and those costs to individual teachers can add up fast.
Cloth masks wear out. Those masks that students were provided with last year? They’ve been washed and worn over and over again - which leads to normal textile degradation and increased mask porosity. It’s time to replace them as kids head back to school.
Disposable PPE waste is creating a global environmental crisis. Recent studies estimate that three million disposable surgical masks are being discarded every minute (Prata et. al, 2020). We want to limit Canada’s environmental impact.
What we’re doing
Donating masks. We’re doing up front donations to teachers, because we know that kids in classrooms can’t afford to wait - they need masks when school starts in September.
Alberta teachers, through September 15, you can order a FREE 20-pack of Unbelts masks for kids, preschoolers, teens, or adults. Use any Alberta school board email to sign up here - once you complete the form you'll be able to access the discount code. We’ve got 1,000 packs to give for a total of 20,000 masks.How you can help
Spread the word. Kids head back to school September 2. Let the teachers in your life know that they can access super-comfy face masks for kids through us. Share this post and our updates on Instagram and Facebook - word-of-mouth is everything!
Shop our masks for adults, kids, preschoolers, and families. You can shop our face masks here. They’re super-comfy, they come in four sizes, and we offer a variety of accessories (ear loops, interchangeable straps, brackets) to help you find your perfect fit.
Looking for a larger (100+) quantity of masks for your school? Contact us at masks@unbelts.com.