CHARLOTTE — School is almost back in session, and students across the Carolinas will be sent into the classroom with the supplies they need thanks to The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation (DNTF), the Carolina Panthers, and Classroom Central.

DNTF and the Panthers funded backpacks and school supplies for 45,000 students as part of the fifth-annual Backpacks & Basics initiative hosted by Classroom Central. The contribution helps make this year's campaign the largest to date and represents a 17 percent increase over last year's commitment.

Over the course of the partnership, DNTF and the Panthers have contributed over $3.5 million to Classroom Central's Backpacks & Basics program.

In total, Backpacks & Basics will provide 59,026 students with backpacks filled with the essential supplies they need to begin the upcoming school year. The backpacks will be distributed to every economically disadvantaged elementary student in the six Charlotte-region school districts Classroom Central serves, along with students in additional districts in North and South Carolina.

Classroom Central works to foster equity in education by providing teachers and students across six Charlotte-region school districts with the free resources they need to succeed. Classroom Central and the Panthers have been in partnership since 2002, when the former was founded. Under DNTF, that partnership has expanded access to educational resources across the Carolinas, a cause close to the Teppers' heart.

"Educational opportunity begins with listening to communities and investing in solutions that respond to what students and teachers need," said Nicole Tepper, Co-Founder at The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation. "Our partnership with Classroom Central combines its trusted regional expertise with the reach and resources of DNTF and the Carolina Panthers. Together, we can bring people around a shared purpose and help students begin the school year prepared to participate, learn and succeed."

DNTF and the Panthers bring leadership, investment and community reach, matched by Classroom Central's trusted regional expertise in delivering resources where they are needed most. Together, this collaboration makes it possible to reach more students at the scale the need demands.

"The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation's growing commitment reflects a deep understanding of what it takes to address a need that continues to grow," said Karen Calder, Executive Director of Classroom Central. "Their leadership allows us to reach more students, bring the wider community together around a shared purpose, and ensure resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. This is what makes Backpacks & Basics more than a backpack build. It truly reflects a community-wide response to what local students need."

The backpack build took place on Wednesday, August 5, with more than 750 volunteers on hand to prepare backpacks for students across the region. Tepper Sports & Entertainment CEO and Carolina Panthers President Kristi Coleman addressed the group before joining the volunteers in the packing process.

Built on a shared commitment to educational equity, the partnership between Classroom Central, The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, and the Carolina Panthers has enabled Backpacks & Basics to grow each year while remaining focused on the students and communities at the heart of the work.