How Kristen Bell Is Helping Teachers Score Items on Their School Supply Wish Lists

Claudia Harmata

Kristen Bell is using her voice and social media platform to help teachers get the supplies they need to make a difference in the classroom.

The Veronica Mars actress, 39, has been sharing individual testimonies of teachers on her Instagram in a social media campaign called #FeaturedTeacherFriday.

Accompanying the posts are links to teacher-curated wish lists on Amazon, which include the supplies educators need to enhance their students’ academic experience. Bell encourages her 11 million followers to donate.

Veronica Landa, a middle school Spanish teacher featured on Bell’s Instagram last month, told the mother of two about the economic disadvantages her students at a Title 1 school face, explaining that they were unable to afford books, among other items.

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Happy #FeaturedTeacherFriday 📚everyone! I know it’s summer break, but teachers still need school supplies and I really love doing these posts! So please meet Veronica! “My name is Veronica Landa and I have been working at Turtle Hook Middle School on Long Island, New York as a 6th and 7th grade Spanish teacher. These three years have truly been the greatest years of my life! I am very passionate about teaching a diverse group of students and strive to make a difference in their lives. Attending graduate school two nights a week has also helped me grow as a teacher and provide the best education for my students. My school is a Title 1 school. The population mainly consists of African American and Hispanic students. The majority of the students at THMS are economically disadvantaged and come from low-income families. Students are also given free breakfast and lunch. Many of my students struggle to afford books and other resources needed to succeed academically. Every day I strive to teach, guide, and support my students to become successful individuals. As a Spanish teacher, students are learning to engage in conversation and expand their knowledge about other cultures in the world. Creating a multicultural classroom teaches students to embrace and respect other cultures. I also incorporate a lot of technology games and videos in my classroom to motivate and engage my students throughout each lesson. This opportunity would help me incorporate books to expand my Spanish library and enhance students’ reading comprehension skills. My students will also be able to improve their speaking and writing skills and knowledge of the Hispanic culture. I truly love teaching Spanish and enjoy learning about my students each and every day. Any help would be greatly appreciated!” Her wishlist will be in my bio. Love you guys. 🧠📚💪🏻

A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell) on Jul 12, 2019 at 11:44am PDT

Landa asked Bell for help growing her library, which could ultimately improve students’ reading comprehension skills.

“This opportunity would help me incorporate books to expand my Spanish library and enhance students’ reading comprehension skills,” she wrote in a note later shared on Bell’s Instagram. “My students will also be able to improve their speaking and writing skills and knowledge of the Hispanic culture.”

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Within a few days of Bell sharing Landa’s story, the middle school teacher said her Amazon wish list was nearly fulfilled.

“I was speechless,” Landa told Good Morning America. “I’ve always had an Amazon wish list with the things I wanted for my students but never did I believe this would happen.”

She told the outlet that she had previously just used a pen and paper to track the progress of her over 100 students. Thanks to Bell’s campaign, she now has a laptop, which was donated by a stranger through the wish list.

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This #FeaturedTeacherFriday 📚we are headed to Texas! Lanie’s attitude of compassion & inclusivity is amazing. Here’s her story: “I was born and raised in Austin, Texas! I have been teaching 4th grade for 5 years and I love every minute of it! My students are my world! They are loving, caring, compassionate, inquisitive, and sometimes hyper! As a class, we build a community so we can rely on one another. We build trust with restorative circles and hold each other accountable for our actions! I work with a very diverse population and most students come from low-income families. The schools I’ve worked at are Title 1 schools, meaning that they receive federally funded support. For some of my students, school is the only place they will receive a meal and have as a safe space with someone to trust. Throughout the year I personally purchase my students supplies, backpacks, coats, clothes, books and snacks. While my students are my family, I’m also very proud of the family my wife and I have built. I am out to my students and their parents, and while it’s been challenging at times, it’s worth it. It’s important to me that students have reassurance that it’s okay to be ‘different.’ This year I had a student tell me they were scared of life and who they were until they found out I was a lesbian. She said I made her realize that she wasn’t weird and that something wasn’t wrong with her. She said that reassurance saved her life. If I can save one child’s life, that’s enough for me. This next year I will be starting a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) at Howard Norman Elementary in Hutto, TX for any and all that would like to join! I want to make sure students have a safe place to go to. All kids need to learn about acceptance, empathy, kindness. With the GSA and in my classroom, all of these things will be taught! Thank you for any and all help!” Lanie’s wishlist will be in my bio. Oh, and I love you guys. 💗💪🏻🧠📚

A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell) on Jul 26, 2019 at 2:07pm PDT

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This #FeaturedTeacherFriday we’re going to Brooklyn, NY! Meet Yaskara Ortiz Ramirez! 📚🧠💪🏻 her wishlist will be in my bio and THANK U to everyone who reads and helps!! “I work in a Title 1 school in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY. To say I LOVE my school and the community we serve is an understatement! Our community is so diverse and so rich in history and is a beautiful mix of cultures. At the age of 29 after I was married and had already had my two boys (and my little girl was on the way) I decided to leave the corporate world, go back to school and get my Masters degree in Education. Remembering the difference my teachers made in my life when I came to this country at the age of nine pushed me to also get the Bilingual extension. I taught third grade for five years and am currently in my first year of teaching Kindergarten...boy are they energetic! I love my little Supers! Seeing them grow and having a hand in shaping them into good well rounded human beings fills my heart each and every day! My students are eager learners who are working towards being fully bilingual and bi-literate. In addition to all that, they are learning how to read! Recently our school lost our Magnet Grant. We are now a Magnet School without the Magnet money. Our Tech Lab, Smart Boards, and Library could use a lot of love and care AKA updating. Our classrooms, especially those that are Dual Language lack the proper resources such as updated classroom library books and computers/iPads. Every year (if we’re lucky) teachers receive a $200-$250 stipend to help offset what we spend to prepare our classrooms at the start of the school year...I spend that on pencils alone! I pour heart and soul (and many paychecks) into my (school) children while still making sure that my own children feel loved. It is a tough balance, but I can’t say that I could see myself doing anything else.”

A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell) on Jun 21, 2019 at 3:01pm PDT

“People were able to send a note with each thing they bought and I was just sitting there crying, overwhelmed with what people were saying,” Landa told GMA. “There was even a girl who is 16 and took her own money and bought me a book.”

“She said she wants to become a music teacher, and the fact that a 16-year-old was supporting me, it put me in tears,” she added.

Bell first launched the campaign in September 2018, according to GMA, originally calling it #10FeaturedTeachers before changing it to #FeaturedTeacherFriday.

Landa said the supplies she received through Bell’s help will change the way she teaches.

“I’m really happy because it’ll really benefit my students, and that’s my No. 1 goal,” she told GMA. “I can change my entire curriculum and implement the books and everything else I’ve received.”