Special Programs: Learning Pantry

Because of the wide range of economic status represented at TEDCC, families are not equally able to support their children’s school experiences at home. While every family at TEDCC is equally committed to this support, the unavailability of materials in some homes, solely due to compromised financial resources, prevents these families from meeting their own school-related goals. The Learning Pantry (LP) represents a strong commitment to “leveling the playing field” cross all TEDCC families. Housed on-site, the LP stocks consumable and non-consumable goods, in the form of educational and household supplies, for families to borrow and/or keep. Educational materials include: art supplies, markers, paper, manipulatives, and teacher-made unit/theme activities and games. Household supplies, without which families are unduly distracted from relaxing/playing/working with their children, include: food, paper goods, telephone/time cards, and parenting resource books and pamphlets.

The LP is opened for a portion of the beginning and end of the day, with sign-out and return forms available for family self-use and self-monitoring. In addition, the LP is open on Monday evenings. Families whose children come to TEDCC via our transportation contract may sign-out/take LP materials through a home-Center inventory checklist (sent to these families each week and returned through our bus drivers). Families who are able may make item donations through drop boxes located at various points on campus. Funding for the LP is from a start-up grant from the Robert Perkins Foundation, the Somerville Community Partnership for Children Grant, Tufts alum, and TEDCC families and friends. Four years ago, TEDCC helped the Salvation Army Childcare Center (Cambridge, MA) start its own Learning Pantry.

Below is a sample of books for parents to sign out that address consumerism and the effects of marketing on children:

• Consuming Kids: Protecting Our Children from the Onslaught of Marketing and Advertising and it is written by Susan Linn, a professor at the Harvard Medical School. In her book Linn calls upon parents and caregivers of children to be aware of the marketing industry’s $15 billion yearly effort to “cultivate cradle-to-grave consumers” and to recognize the important need to have health care professionals, educators and legislators who have children’s best interests in mind.
   
• Born To Buy, written by New York Tines bestselling author Juliet Schor, examines how marketing efforts have created “commercialized children.” With her research and access to the advertising industry, Schor writes a compelling book that uncovers the consequences of the commercialization of children.
   
• Buy, Baby Buy: How Consumer Culture Manipulates Parents and Harms Young Minds, written by Susan Gregory Thomas.
   
• Consumer Boycotts: Effecting Change Through the Marketplace and the Media, written by Monroe Friedman.
   
• Consumed, written by Benjamin Barber. Barber combines his extensive empirical research with his theoretical framework to illustrate the new culture of consumerism that targets children at younger ages than ever.

Our books are available for parents to sign out on an overnight basis in order to allow for the maximum number of parents to be able to access and reference them. We are also working to finalize the addition of two more kits available to borrow in the Learning Pantry, including a “New baby kit” and a “Moving to a new house kit.” These kits are stored in canvas bags and include books, articles, materials, and toys for parents and children to reference and use. As always, please help yourself to the project bags, bring a couple home with you to use over the upcoming long weekends! If you ever have any questions or ideas about other resources you would find helpful and interesting for the Learning Pantry to stock, please let us know.