End of School Clean Out
We're excited to host our 2025 End of School Clean Out starting May 21 through June 6. Key resources to help you learn more include our 2025 Timeline and Process and 2025 D65 Guidance Manual (step by step instructions for our schools).
D65 Schools can sign-up to participate by May 7.
2025 Key Resources:
- 2025 Timeline and Process
- 2025 D65 Guidance Manual
- 2025 Participating Schools
- 2025 Event Flyers for Printing and Digital (English and Spanish)
- Accepted Donations Signage for Printing and Digital (English and Spanish)
- Give & Take Table Signs
- Questions? Contact Karen Bireta, D65 Sustainability Coordinator biretak@district65.net
2024 Positive Impact
In 2024, our D65 schools mobilized to gather leftover school supplies from classrooms and lockers that would typically go to the landfill from May 13 to June 7. We encouraged sharing and reuse within our schools and D65 Families and restocked school supply closets at Haven!
7 Participating Schools in 2024: Chute, Dewey, Kingsley, Oakton, Orrington, Washington, Willard
Remaining items were donated to the D65 Family Wellness Program, Art Makers Outpost, and SCARCE. A big thank you to all who participated in our D65 End of School Clean Out and giving back to our schools, families and community. Thanks to you as our teachers, staff, caregivers and volunteers who helped make this year's clean out a success!
Success Story: In 2023, Haven Middle School created multiple school supply swap closets that were so successful they are not participating in the 2024 end of year clean out but instead replenishing the supply closets while offsetting new school supply purchasing. Way to go Haven staff and students!
2023 Positive Impact
In 2023, our D65 schools mobilized to gather leftover school supplies from classrooms and lockers that would typically go to the landfill from May 8 to June 9.
We encouraged sharing and reuse within our schools and D65 Families! Created 3 School Supply Swap Closets at Haven, Dawes & Lincolnwood.
Remaining items were donated to Art Makers Outpost, SCARCE, Books4Cause, Better World Books and Goodwill. A big thank you all who participated in our D65 End of School Classroom and Locker Clean Out. Celebrating how our individual actions add up to such positive outcomes for our community. Thanks to you as our teachers, staff, caregivers and volunteers who helped make this year's clean out a success!
2022 Positive Impact
2022, our D65 schools mobilized to gather leftover school supplies from classrooms and lockers that would typically go to the landfill from May 31 to June 10, 2022. We encouraged sharing and reuse within our schools. In 2022, we collected 305 boxes of new and gently used school supplies from 14 participating locations with 48 people helping!
Thanks to our teachers, students, staff and volunteers who helped make the donation to Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange a success!