The persistence of COVID-19 and the surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant has spurred a partnership between the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and SchoolMaskPack, innovators behind the best-selling Crayola licensed 5-day mask system.

Through the shared value of caring for students, teachers and educators, the strong collaboration between NSBA and SchoolMaskPack kicks-off on August 2.  In addition to a donation of mask packs for under-served school districts, SchoolMaskPack will give an additional set of masks to teachers and administrators who are purchasing for their schools to help ensure a seamless return to in-person learning. NSBA is federation of state associations that represent 90,000 locally elected school board officials serving approximately 51 million public school students.

“As students and educators return to classrooms this fall, masks are a critical component to containing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping people safe, especially younger students who are not yet eligible for the vaccine,” says Chip Slaven, interim Executive Director and CEO of the Alexandria, VA-based NSBA. “Through this partnership with SchoolMaskPack, we can help ensure that students, schools, and school districts have a smooth return to classrooms this fall.” 

SchoolMaskPack Chief Commercial Officer George Hartel says the partnership with NSBA is a way to support school communities through their re-openings in September, while vaccine approvals for children under 12 remain under consideration by the federal government.

“With many students too young to be eligible for the vaccines, mask-wearing as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC is the most effective public health practice to reduce the spread of this pernicious virus,” says Hartel. “We pioneered a 5-day mask system for kids and families that was designed by parents and teachers, and since June 2020 we have seen over one million parents choose SchoolMackPack as the best solution for their children.”

While there is near universal support for school re-openings, the possibilities of ongoing disruption to the continuity of education are significant, says Hartel. “With many parts of the world having a start-stop experience with their school re-openings, we believe that universal mask-wearing will help to keep the focus on in-person learning and reduce potential ongoing disruptions."

About The National School Boards Association

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a federation of state associations and the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands that represent locally elected school board officials serving approximately 51 million public school students regardless of their disability, ethnicity, socio-economic status or citizenship. Working with and through our state association members, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. www.nsba.org

About SchoolMaskPack

SchoolMaskPack is a non-medical mask retailer under Supara Group, a leading direct to consumer focused on creating life changing wearable solutions through tech apparel.. Established in the 1960s, Supara Group is behind market leading products including GQWhite™, the ultimate white shirt, and GQWhite™ Masks, the  Crayola licensed non-medical reusable mask system, and The Good Day Lab CleanShield Stain-Proof Kids T-shirts. The company develops technical and functional garments while creating a true omnichannel retail shopping experience for customers to ensure detailed craftsmanship, comfortable fit and great design.. https://www.facebook.com/schoolmaskpack

About Crayola

Crayola LLC, based in Easton, Pa. and a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, is the worldwide leader in children's creative expression products. Known for the iconic Crayola Crayon first introduced in 1903, the Crayola brand has grown into a portfolio of innovative art tools, crafting activities and creativity toys that offer children innovative new ways to use color to create everything imaginable. Consumers can find the wide array of Crayola products in the "Crayola Aisle" at all major retailers. crayola.com and www.facebook.com/crayola.