TWM Gives Back: The Welman Project

Imagine you’re a teacher and your classroom has been flooded by burst pipes during an unprecedented snowstorm. There’s now a mold problem, so you’ve only been given 20 minutes to grab whatever you can that’s still salvageable. Your students will be back at school in just a few days, you’re pulling double duty with in-person lessons and virtual learning decks to plan, and you’ve been forced to move into a temporary room that’s half the size of your classroom. It’s empty. Most of what perished in the flood were supplies you purchased with your own money, and you can’t afford to replace them. Oh, and it’s STAAR testing season. What do you do? How do you teach?

Here’s the thing, teachers don’t just teach. They’ve been tasked with what feels like mission impossible: getting thousands of students college and career ready with very little resources. And then let’s throw in a pandemic and surprises from Mother Nature. But even before that, teachers have always gone beyond the tests and textbooks. They’ve been known to wash their students’ uniforms, keep healthy snacks for those kids experiencing food insecurities at home, and are often the first line of defense when it comes to the mental health of these young humans. It’s no wonder that almost 60% of Texas teachers leave the profession after just five years. What kind of impact does this turnover have on student outcomes? Hint: it’s not good.

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7. But at The Welman Project, we take Teacher Appreciation to the next level year-round, ditching the kitschy mug adorned with an apple, and inviting the community to participate in an ongoing pep rally of support.

How do we do this? Through creative reuse! We connect teachers with surplus materials sourced from local businesses, working one-on-one to help them implement curriculum-enhancing creative reuse in the classroom.

Founded by two gals who grew up together here in Fort Worth, The Welman Project is the only organization in the country with this creative marriage of missions: limiting corporate waste in our landfills and unlimiting teachers, with as many materials as they can fit in their cars and as many ideas as they can fit in their heads, all at no cost to them. We’re like the ultimate PTA parent, getting to know their individual needs and coming up with personalized solutions. Then at the end of their shopping spree, we get to tell them how many hundreds or thousands of dollars they didn’t spend! For those in the back of the class, yes, we mean free supplies for teachers. There’s no catch.

“How is this possible?” you say?

Well, we’ve partnered with over 100 companies so far, helping them reduce their waste AND support our teachers. Surplus promotional samples from Jolin Promo, extra monitors from One Stop Printing, discontinued packaging from Blue Apron, fabric swatches from Rogue Architects – even an unneeded cart from American Airlines that became a mobile classroom for a geography teacher working without a room. Companies are making a big difference in local schools simply by redirecting their surplus stuff to us. And the hands-on, open-ended lessons sparked by these creative reuse materials challenge students to go beyond all that screen time and build the skills they need to be college and career-ready – complex problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity.

Since 2017, our community has helped us divert 546 dumpsters worth of materials and give over $2.5 million worth of supplies to 2,783 educators across 515 schools. Corporate executives, family businesses, and volunteers from ages 4 to 84 have come together to make this mission possible. Yeah, our Fort Worth is pretty amazing.

Remember that flooded classroom story? That’s a real story about a teacher right here in Fort Worth at a school that serves some of our city’s most vulnerable students. This teacher showed up at the Welman Warehouse in tears. Her classroom gone, her supplies covered in mold, her spirit crushed. Now, the Wellies don’t sweep in as the heroes of this story. It’s actually you, our community. Because without your support, this amazing teacher would not have left Welman that day with a carload of supplies to uplift her students.

You see, The Welman Project exists as a hub where we can uplift each other. More important than the stuff she got during her visit was the reassurance that our Fort Worth community recognizes the mission impossible teachers face, that we value the impact they’re making on our future, and that we are here to cheer them on!

Want to join the Wellie pep rally? There are so many more amazing teachers that need our support! Here’s what you can do:

• Spread the Wellie word. Tell your teacher pals about The Welman Project, or if you are a teacher, come visit us already! Find out more here: http://www.thewelmanproject.org/getstuff.html
• Join the Teacher Appreciation party. We’re turning the appreciation factor up to 11 in May with sweet treats, thank you notes, and giveaways for our teachers. Do you have access to awesome prizes or experiences to donate to this weeklong celebration? Maybe a dinner for two, a salon visit, a beverage tasting, a new car? I mean, one can dream, right? Simple handwritten notes are proven to uplift teachers’ spirits and we could use more scribes! To donate prizes or to sign up for our thank you note writing initiative, email vanessa@thewelmanproject.org.
• Sign up to volunteer. Put on the Wellie apron and join a sunny community of creative helpers. Love crafting, organizing, and seeing teachers cry tears of joy? Then this is the volunteer opportunity for you! Volunteer in-person or request a take-home project! http://www.thewelmanproject.org/supportus.html
• Use your purchase power for good. Attached to our Welman Warehouse is our retail shop of creative reuse curiosities, where the community can score affordable finds with all proceeds fueling our mission to serve teachers. This space is packed with funky treasures, vintage items, craft supplies, fabric, and more – all rescued from landfill doom! Kid-friendly (fill a treasure bag for $3!) and guaranteed to spark your imagination. Plus we’ll have workshops for all ages launching in the fall. Support teachers, shop local, and reduce waste!
• Get social with us. Believe it or not, our whole marketing strategy exists on social media – it’s how teachers and businesses find out about us. So give us a like or a share. We promise our posts will brighten your day and we always try to sneak in good puns. Facebook / Instagram @thewelmanproject

The Welman Project
3950 W Vickery Blvd, FW, 76107
thewelmanproject.org
817.924.4000

Educator Warehouse & Retail Shop Hours:
Wed – Fri 12p-6p
Sat & Sun 9a-6p

Vanessa Barker is a Fort Worth native, proud product of Fort Worth ISD public schools, and co-founder of The Welman Project. After graduating from Emerson College in Boston, she went on to teach at preschools in the hills of Topanga, California, and in the other hills of San Francisco. She’s been a project manager for events around the country that have included a giant ice wall on the Hudson River for New York Fashion Week and the glitter runways of The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.  It was the combination of her teaching and event experience that led Vanessa to the idea for The Welman Project and her migration back to Fort Worth. Along with her childhood best friend, Taylor Willis, Vanessa spends her days saving materials from the landfill and repurposing those items for creative reuse in North Texas classrooms.