Ikea Soft Toys for Education

Thank you IKEA for sponsoring this post. Buy a soft toy or children’s book

 at IKEA between 11/9/14 – 1/3/15 and the IKEA Foundation will donate $1.00 to Save the Children and UNICEF.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I played school growing up, always using my little brother as my student. While in high school, I worked at local preschools and my desire to teach continued to grow. When I was 21 that dream came true, as I graduated with my degree and got a job teaching third grade. The biggest reason I wanted to teach was to make a difference. Teaching was my calling. I couldn’t think of a more rewarding job.

Throughout my career teaching, I became a second mom to my students. I was with them from 8am-2pm. That is more time than most of them saw their parents on a daily basis. I gave them my all each day because that is what they deserved. I spent a good amount of my own money, helping to provide them with everything they needed in the classroom. I not only wanted my students to fall in love with learning,  I wanted all of my students to be successful.

Unfortunately, many children in the world do not have an opportunity to get a quality education or have teachers who are able to provide so much for them.  Thankfully, there are companies like Ikea who are doing what they can to make a difference for these children and help them get the education they deserve.

Right now, Ikea has a Soft Toys for Education Campaign that donates money to UNICEF and Save the children. The Soft Toys for Education Campaign is a global initiative and involves the entire range of IKEA soft toys and children’s books.  For every soft toy or children’s book purchased at IKEA from November 9 2014 until January 3 2015, the IKEA Foundation will donate $1.00 to Save the Children and UNICEF.

The IKEA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Stichting INGKA Foundation, the owner of the IKEA Group. Its vision is a world where children living in some of the world’s poorest communities to have more opportunities to create a better future for themselves and their families.

It aims to create substantial and lasting change by funding holistic, long-term programmes in developing countries that address children’s fundamental needs: a place to call home; a healthy start in life; a quality education; and a sustainable family income.

Since the Soft Toy campaign began in 2003, the IKEA Foundation has donated $90.4 million to UNICEF and Save the Children enabling more than 11 million children in 46 countries to have the opportunity of accessing a quality education. Last year alone, the IKEA Foundation raised $13.6 million (10.1 million euro) and over $1 million was raised in the US. This year, they will probably go over $100 million in total contributions since 2003. You can be part of the impact this year. You can purchase a Soft Toy or Children’s book from November 2014- January 2015 and Ikea will donate $1.00 to children’s education projects through UNICEF and Save the Children.  The money will help UNICEF and Save the Children train teachers in child-friendly teaching methods, improve child protection systems, supply educational materials in the schools, help rebuild schools, provide better water and toilet facilities, and increase school attendance rates.