Left to Right: Mary Fox, General Manager, BIC NAMCP; Risa Ward, Vice President – Partnerships, DonorsChoose.org; Lucia Modesto, Partnership Manager, DonorsChoose.org; and Gonzalve Bich, CEO, BIC Group

SHELTON, Conn., – In celebration of BIC USA’s 60th anniversary, the world leader in stationery products, lighters and shavers has allocated $60,000 of an original $100,000 donation in 2018 to DonorsChoose.org to fund handwriting projects and classroom requests. This funding will reach 5,500 students nationwide, including more than 450 K-12 students in underserved areas of Illinois.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

“According to Hanover Research, 15 minutes of daily writing promotes individuality, enhances motor skills and improves cognitive development,” said Linda Palladino, Senior Brand Manager, BIC Consumer Products USA. “At BIC, we are committed to education and serving our communities. Through our donation to DonorsChoose.org, we hope to help students in Illinois and across the country not only be successful in the classroom but also develop writing skills that they’ll carry with them for a lifetime.”

DonorsChoose.org is a non-profit organization and crowdfunding platform that vets teacher requests and allows individuals and companies to donate directly to public school classroom projects.

Funding from BIC USA and DonorsChoose.org will help students in Bond, Cook, Macoupin, Madison, Peoria, Sangamon and Will counties learn about the art of handwriting and develop skills to become better readers, boost their confidence and spark their creativity.

Specific projects supported in Illinois include:

Article continues after sponsor message

“According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, children with reading disabilities benefit from cursive handwriting because it helps them with the decoding process. It also integrates hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and other brain and memory functions,” said Mrs. Alissa Markos, a special education students for 3rd and 4th graders at Gallistel Language Academy. “Thanks to this generous donation, I will be able to enhance my multi-sensory instruction and help my students overcome their dyslexia.”

To learn more about BIC 60th anniversary and the handwriting projects it’s supporting, please visit www.us.bicworld.com.

About BIC Corporation

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, shavers and promotional products. For more than 70 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication and thanks to everyday efforts and investments, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide for identifying BIC products which are sold in more than 160 countries around the world.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000 by a Bronx history teacher, DonorsChoose.org has raised $765,143,591 for America's classrooms. Teachers come to DonorsChoose.org to request the materials and experiences they need most for their classrooms, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. To date, 3,513,852 people and partners have funded 1,296,157 projects on the site, reaching 31,389,918 students and making DonorsChoose.org the leading platform for supporting U.S. public schools. DonorsChoose.org is the only crowdfunding platform that vets each request, delivers materials directly to schools, and captures the impact of every funded project with photos, thank yous, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. In 2014, DonorsChoose.org made the top 10 of Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, the first time a charity has received such recognition.

More like this:

Oct 21, 2024 - Angela Richter Awarded Triad's 2024-2025 Teaching Excellence Honor

Oct 29, 2024 - O'Fallon School District Opens New Outdoor Classroom For Students With Anniversary

Sep 28, 2024 - Alton Elementary Students Raise $15,000 at Walk-a-Thon

Yesterday - Brussels CUSD #42 Celebrates Exemplary Summative Designation on 2024 Illinois Report Card

Sep 4, 2024 - Cow Visits Bethalto Elementary School