The Clorox® Brand Empowers Superhero Teachers by Providing $1,000,000 Worth of School Supplies This Back-to-School Season

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This past school year created unprecedented challenges where teachers stretched their expertise in creative, imaginative ways to support their students. New research from the Clorox® brand found that 70% of them had to teach without the supplies they needed, and 82% expect personal spending on school supplies to increase this year compared to last. As schools return to in-person learning this fall, Clorox will continue its mission in supporting teachers through a $1,000,000 donation to DonorsChoose that will help provide classroom basics educators need most to create enriching, safe spaces for their students – from notebooks to disinfecting wipes. 

Knowing how influential teachers have been for so many professional athletes in their formative years, and as the Official Cleaning Partner of the NBA and WNBA, Clorox is teaming up with players past and present, including Donovan Mitchell, one of the game's MVPs with a strong personal tie to education, to raise awareness for the important role these superhero teachers play in creating a winning back-to-school season.

"Growing up, I always admired my mother's ability to change kids' lives as a teacher, which is why I'm dedicated to supporting schools and students when I'm off the court," said Donovan Mitchell, NBA all-star of the Utah Jazz and Clorox spokesperson. "At the start of every school year, teachers become superheroes, going above and beyond for their students and I'm thrilled to team up with Clorox to bring awareness to teachers and much needed supplies at a time when they're needed most."

Clorox is also celebrating teachers in the backyard of its largest production plant, Atlanta. Today, in partnership with the Atlanta Hawks, Clorox announced a donation of $100,000 along with $10,000 worth of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to Atlanta Public Schools, which was presented to a group of teachers, students and staff at Emma Hutchinson Elementary School through a surprise appearance by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins.

"I owe a lot of the success I have experienced on and off the court to the amazing teachers, coaches and role models in my life who helped me stay the course," said Wilkins. "At a time when teachers need our support more than ever, the entire Atlanta Hawks organization is thrilled to be a part of this Clorox program to give back to our community and help Atlanta Public Schools get the supplies they need."

"At Clorox, we value the extraordinary effort and sacrifices teachers nationwide have made to navigate this challenging past school year which is why we look to celebrate and giveback to superhero teachers again this year," said Tad Kittredge, Vice President of Cleaning at The Clorox Company. "Through our $1,000,000 donation to DonorsChoose, we are committed to supporting teachers so they can return to the classroom equipped with necessary supplies for a successful and safe year ahead."

Sweepstakes and Resources
From now until September 15, consumers can join in on supporting teachers by visiting Clorox.com/support-our-teachers for a chance to win $5,000 for their own back-to-school shopping needs as well as the opportunity to designate a superhero teacher in their life to win $5,000 from Clorox.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years or older. Ends 9/15/21 at 11:59 a.m. ET. For Official Rules, including odds and prize descriptions, visit https://bit.ly/3vwlqZf. Void where prohibited.

Survey of U.S. Teachers
As parents and students face the new school year ahead with renewed optimism, teachers still have worries as they head back to the classroom. To determine teachers' greatest needs and concerns during this back-to-school season, Clorox conducted a nationwide survey among 1,000 U.S. educators.

Survey results* indicated:

• Going to extra lengths to stock school supplies, 46% of teachers say they spent more of their personal funds in the past year due to the pandemic.
• 61% of teachers feel their students miss out on learning because they don't have the supplies they need.
• On average, teachers spend over $500 out of their own pockets to properly stock their classrooms for their students.
• The majority (76%) of teachers say they have paid for supplies with their own salaries.
• Over two-thirds (68%) had to modify lesson plans because they didn't have the supplies they needed.
• Roughly 30% of teachers working in underserved schools spend more money on supplies for their students than those who do not ($635.80 on average vs. $470.30).

Research Methodology
*Survey: On behalf of Clorox, Ketchum Analytics conducted a 10-minute online survey (n=1000) fielded from June 7 to June 15, 2021 to better understand how American teachers source and fund school supplies for their classrooms. This survey was fielded in the United States among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults 18+, at the 95% confidence level and with a margin of error (MOE) of ±3.1%. 

About the Clorox Company
The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with about 9,000 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2021 sales of $7.3 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized consumer brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Pine-Sol^® cleaners; Liquid-Plumr^® clog removers; Poett^® home care products; Fresh Step^® cat litter; Glad^® bags and wraps; Kingsford^® grilling products; Hidden Valley^® dressings and sauces; Brita^® water-filtration products; Burt's Bees^® natural personal care products; and RenewLife^®, Rainbow Light^®, Natural Vitality CALM™, and NeoCell^® vitamins, minerals and supplements. The company also markets industry-leading products and technologies for professional customers, including those sold under the CloroxPro™ and Clorox Healthcare^® brand names. More than 80% of the company's sales are generated from brands that hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories.

Clorox is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The company has been broadly recognized for its corporate responsibility efforts, included on the Barron's 2020 100 Most Sustainable Companies list, 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign's 2021 Corporate Equality Index and the 2021 Parity.org Best Places for Women to Advance list, among others. In support of its communities, The Clorox Company and its foundations contributed about $20 million in combined cash grants, product donations and cause marketing in fiscal year 2021. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com and follow the company on Twitter at @CloroxCo.

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About DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, more than 4 million people and partners have contributed $1 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability.

SOURCE Clorox