Jenna Bush Hager Teams Up With Kleenex To Help Schools in Need and Gives Her Back-to-School Tips!
As children start school this year, there will be millions of backpacks and classrooms that include a product we’ve all known since childhood — Kleenex! As the brand celebrates its 100th anniversary, Kleenex is giving gifts to schools across the country. And the company is teaming with former teacher, beloved Today co-host and book lover, Jenna Bush Hager to award a half a million dollars in much needed funds to select schools as they head into the new school year.
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“I was a teacher,” Jenna tells FIRST for Women during a Zoom interview. “I taught in D.C. and Baltimore. As a teacher, and also by covering education, I know how much teachers give of their own paycheck for their students. So Kleenex is partnering with Donors Choose, which is an incredible organization. They are giving away $100,000 to one school, and $4,000 to a hundred other schools.”
Known for promoting reading through her popular Read with Jenna book club, she is excited about partnering with Kleenex for this initiative. “They've been around a hundred years. They are a legacy brand,” she says, noting their company name is synonymous with their product. “My mom says, ‘When I want a tissue, I say, ‘May I have a Kleenex?’’’ They are this incredible company.”
“I cry at a drop of a hat — both when I'm happy and when I'm sad — which is something I do want to teach my kids. Kleenex is a brand I've been quite familiar with, and I'm just so proud to be partnering with them because they're doing such incredible work in education.”
Kleenex
Jenna Bush Hager and Kleenex helping schools
Jenna and the folks at Kleenex are inviting people to nominate schools by visiting kleenex100years.com now through August 26. Schools will be evaluated based on an objective set of criteria, and the schools that are chosen will be those who exemplify Kleenex’s mission of providing students with resources that enable them to thrive.
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“I just hope people will go to kleenex100years.com to nominate some of these incredible schools because teachers deserve this money. They deserve to be seen, and I'm so proud that Kleenex is doing that,” the author and Today co-host says.
“Anyone can nominate these schools, not just teachers. A parent could think, ‘You know what, there's a hundred thousand dollars. My school deserves some money.’ So they should think about nominating the schools where their kids attend.”
How parents can support teachers
Beyond nominating their favorite school to receive funds from Kleenex, Jenna says there are other ways parents can support teachers.
Jenna says with a smile, “My mom always would say, ‘Go and ask your classroom teacher how you can help.’ There's a million ways they need help in the classroom. They may need supplies, and they may not want to reach out to you.”
Jenna adds that you can help in other ways as well. “Go stock books in the library or help out during lunchtime,” she suggests. “But the most important thing is make sure you have an open communication with your children's teacher and ask what they need. . .Teachers are in need of respect and also of resources and time. So, I think whatever you're willing to give, they'll have an idea.”
Jenna Bush Hager’s back-to-school tips
With three kids starting school this year, Jenna is preparing for a busy back-to-school season. “I have two kids that are transitioning. One is going into a totally new school and Hal is starting pre-K at a different school,” she says.
@jennabhager/Instagram
“Mila is starting middle school in a new building. I can't even believe I have a daughter that's starting middle school, but she is.”
Jenna says communication is key to a successful school year. “We try to ask them how they're feeling, what they're thinking about,” she says. “Hal said just the other day, ‘Is school about to start? I'm kind of nervous.’ I said, ‘It's totally okay to be nervous.’ And I'm so proud of that [being able to express] how he's feeling about whatever is happening. We try to just hear our kids out, let them express themselves, not try to necessarily fix it, because Hal's going to be nervous and that's okay.”
But in the meantime, Jenna says they are trying to enjoy the last carefree days of summer. “We're trying to still live in summer. We're trying to let our kids have as much of a structure-free, non-technology, reading books, hanging out, camps, all that stuff until school starts,” Jenna says. “We’re not overthinking what's coming next, and just getting to be in the moment, which is what we all want to do as adults, right?”
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