My Biz: Teacher’s Toolbox offers resources for local educators

Educators in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area have a relatively new resource to tap into when it comes to expanding the resources they can tap into for enriching classroom experiences for local students.

Amy Gardner, 52, is Founder and Director of Teacher’s Toolbox, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) reuse/recycling resource she conceived of that uses what is already in the community to support teachers in their classrooms.

“We offer lots of recycled materials that can be used for projects as well as basic school supplies,” says Gardner.

As the only local nonprofit reuse/recycling resource just for teachers, Gardner says she excited to focus on what is needed now in classrooms while also using what is already available in the community. “We provide recycled materials for use in projects like the local Future Cities competition,” she says. “And we curate lessons that can be used with the materials we offer. We have kits to check out that can be used over and over again.”

And she has plans for growth. “We hope to someday have a work area where teachers can come in and work and have access to support outside of school hours.” One way she hopes to raise funds and awareness for the organization is through a fundraiser on April 12th.

“Teacher’s Toolbox is a new nonprofit and while we are just starting out, we could be amazing,” says Gardner. “If you look at other similar programs in other states that have been around for the last 20 to 30 years, they have huge locations with the ability to help hundreds of teachers and students. We hope to continue to grow so that we can make an impact like that in Iowa.”

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Gardner knows the need well, having operated a Makerspace at McKinley STEAM Academy — where she still currently works as the librarian — before the pandemic.

“I found it very fulfilling and looked forward to supporting staff and students in that way,” she says. “With the Makerspace, teachers were able to use materials in a variety of ways to support the students and their learning. As I was looking for different ways that I could continue to support staff and students in that way I came across a business in Arizona called Treasures 4 Teachers. I researched businesses like this and thought something similar would be a great addition to the Cedar Rapids area. I sent out surveys and had a focus group night to see if local teachers would be interested. I got a lot of positive feedback and decided to run with the idea.”

The store officially opened a brick-and-mortar location on the southeast side of Cedar Rapids in July of 2024 in advance on a new school year.

Gardner, now in her 30th year in education having taught elementary and middle school in Iowa for most of that time, continues to draw on her interactions with other educators to make Teacher’s Toolbox relevant. “I love helping teachers and finding ways to make their jobs easier,” says Gardner. “For the Makerspace, I was able to connect with all the teachers in the school and provide guidance to students as they experimented with different projects, from darning socks and sewing to designing and creating prototypes of simple machines.”

She also taps into her network in running Teacher’s Toolbox. “I have a very talented friend who runs multiple businesses who gave me some great advice about not waiting for everything to be perfect to try something new; that it is more important to just get started,” says Gardner. “No one is looking for perfection, but everyone appreciates it when you are trying to help others.”

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Teacher’s Toolbox is all volunteer run at this point, including Gardner’s time. Together, volunteers sort donations that come in, ensuring they are clean and ready for easy access by teachers. “We are seeing a few regulars that come in weekly or biweekly to drop off donations and materials.”

Teacher’s Toolbox accepts everything from arts and crafts supplies, books, clean lids from various containers, and corks, to school supplies, small furniture, tennis balls, and so much more. Those interested in donating items can check out the organization’s website to learn more. So far, Gardner says they have kept more than 300 pounds of materials out of the landfill.

Outside of helping those who come in, Gardner says they create flyers and send them to schools to attract more teachers to Teacher’s Toolbox, work on lessons to go with STEAM projects using the materials donated, write to local businesses to see if they want to partner with the organization, and write grants. “I’ve put a lot of effort into reaching out to new people and businesses and explaining what Teacher’s Toolbox does for our teachers and community. I am still learning how to make the right connections to form lasting partnerships so that we can be successful.”

“But I like seeing how happy teachers are when they pick up books for their classroom library collection or find the materials they need for a project,” says Gardner of what makes her role fulfilling. “We had several students come in to get recyclable materials for their Future City projects and, after seeing students work on these projects for several years, it was so nice to be able to help support them in this way.”

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing zack.kucharski@thegazette.com.