Through Friday, Aug. 16, multiple locations across the University of Pennsylvania campus will serve as drop-off points for the Penn Volunteers in Public Service’s annual back-to-school drive.

The school supply drive collects basic back-to-school items such as binders, dividers, dictionaries, staplers, glue, tape, calculators, crayons, pencils, pens, paper, rulers, notebooks, book covers, markers, folders, lunch boxes or bags, school bags or backpacks, umbrellas and blank CDs or DVDs.

The supplies will be distributed to nearby schools, after-school programs and other organizations in West Philadelphia.

One of the schools in West Philadelphia that will receive a portion of the collection is Henry C. Lea Elementary School.

Isabel Sampson-Mapp, director of Penn VIPS, which operates through Penn’s Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships, said the University has been hosting school supply drives for more than 12 years and it is one of the Netter Center’s most popular events.

“It is always amazing to me how generous the Penn community is and how we are always willing to support our neighbors who demonstrate a need,” Mapp said.  “We really do make a difference because we assist directly by delivering these supplies to the schools in West Philadelphia, but also we assist indirectly by increasing the capacity of the various agencies in the area by strengthening their ability to help their constituents.”

Donations can be dropped off at:

• President’s Office, 100 College Hall
• Provost Office, 3401 Walnut St., 353B
• Human Resources, 3401 Walnut St., 538A
• Facilities and Real Estate Services, 3401 Walnut St.
• Penn Museum, Reception Desk near Kress Gallery
• African-American Resource Center, 3537 Locust Walk
• Van Pelt Library, Cataloging & Metadata Department
• Netter Center for Community Partnerships, 133 S. 36th St., 504
• ISC, 3401 Walnut St., 265C, and Sansom Place West, 203A
• Wharton, 1000 Steinberg-Dietrich Hall
• School of Nursing, 202 Claire Fagin Hall
• School of Arts and Sciences External Affairs, 3615 Market St., 2nd Floor
• Living Independently for Elders, 4508 Chestnut St.
• Research Services, Franklin Building, P-221
• Comptroller’s Office, Franklin Building, 312
• Student Health, 3535 Market St., 100
• Gift Planning, 3535 Market St., 500
• Translational Research Laboratories, 125 S. 31st St.
• Abramson Cancer Research Center, 421 Curie Blvd., 409 BRB II/III
• School of Social Policy & Practice, Caster Building, 3701 Locust Walk

The Netter Center has forged a new relationship with the School of Social Policy & Practice and its Community TeamWorks program.  This year, the School is one of the new drop-off sites for the school supplies drive.

“Supporting educational initiatives, especially in neighborhoods that need it most, is at the core of Community TeamWorks’ mission,” said Providenza Loera Rocco, a School of Social Policy & Practice alumna and the coordinator of Community TeamWorks.  “We are proud to support the school supplies drive. It is a worthy effort that will help West Philadelphia’s students and families.”

Other schools benefitting from the drive include Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School and West Philadelphia High School and various non-profit agencies in the area which will also distribute supplies.