WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Back-to-school season can mean a financial pinch for classroom teachers, but the Resource Depot aims to save educators green while going green.
Teacher Todd LaVogue is scanning the shelves of Resource Depot, looking up and down each aisle and letting his eyes wander. The shelves are packed with bottle caps, old electronics, even trophies from events long since passed.
He stops near some large drawings on foam core.
“I guess an architectural firm had these originally,” he says, flipping them over.
He is seeing the opportunity for the objects here, knowing he can give them new life in his Innovation classroom at the Conservatory School.
“These drawings are beautiful,” he says.
While the drawings could lead to a conversation about math and art combined, LaVogue knows his students could use the boards to create new projects simply by flipping the drawings over. The large boards, he says, would have been costly for him or his students to purchase brand new.
LaVogue is one of many teachers in Palm Beach County who take advantage of the opportunity to save money at Resource Depot. With a $25 membership, a teacher can stop at the warehouse throughout the year to pick up items.
“It could be recyclable, but it still has a use to it. It would be a waste to recycle it at this point, but maybe when your students are done with it, or if you're cutting it up and there are scraps, great recycle those,” said Jennifer O’Brien, Executive Director.
O’Brien says the Resource Depot slows the journey to the landfill. Plastic bottle caps, unused manufacturers’ parts, even old VHS tapes find new life. All items are donated.
“We literally have had the kitchen sink come through,” she said.
Resource Depot is also filled with completed projects. A lizard is made of bottle caps, a sea urchin is fashioned of dried-up pens, and an old VHS tape is crocheted into a purse.
LaVogue sees inspiration and opportunity everywhere.
“I see costumes, I see background sets, I see props,” she said.
With some instruction, LaVogue says his students see it too. They even made a music video based on Egypt’s history where every item on the set was made by students with items from Resource Depot. The process allows children to push limits of critical thinking, creativity and problem solving they may not get the same way in core subjects.
“I want them to be able to solve problems that they can't Google,” he said.
Teachers are often so creative; they donate their projects back to Resource Depot again for other teachers to use.
“Coming to places like this keeps me young and thinking the way that I want my students to think,” said LaVogue.
Resource Depot is holding is Back-to-School Open House Saturday, August 13th 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The admission to the event is free; shopping can be done for a fee.
The warehouse is at 2510 Florida Avenue in West Palm Beach where donations can also be made. Visit resourcedepot.net or call 561-882-0090 for more information.