Kids
Free-for-All
BY ANGELA MATUA
AMATUA@QNS.COM
School is almost back in session,
and one Long Island City organization is
againencouraging teachers to go shopping
for supplies at their massive warehouse
for free.
Materials for the Arts (MFTA) which is
operated by the Department of Cultural
Affairs, with support from the Department
of Sanitation and Department of
Education (DOE), provides free materials
to teachers — from binders to paper and
computer chairs.
The organizers are hosting a Back-to-
School Shopping Spree starting Aug. 29
and ending on Sept. 30. New York City
public school teachers can also visit the
warehouse to pick up supplies all year
round. The 35,000-square-foot facility,
located at 33-00 Northern Blvd., has 40
aisles filled with calculators, binders, reams
of paper, highlighters, pens and pencils
and more.
In addition to more traditional items,
public school teachers can pick up rolls of
fabric, board games, holiday ornaments,
instrument cases and gallons of paint.
There is no limit on how many supplies
educators can pick up.
To take advantage of the free supplies,
teachers must make an appointment and
can pick up items on Tuesdays from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. (last appointment is noon)
and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30
p.m. (last appointment is 4:30 p.m.).
A limited supply of MFTA project
starter kits will also be handed out to help
“inspire teachers to create projects with
less,” according to MFTA spokesperson
Kwame Belle.
“Materials for the Arts transforms
schools by giving teachers truckloads
of free materials they can use to make
hands-on learning possible for their
students,” said MFTA Director of Education
John Cloud Kaiser. “These reusable
materials help the environment, invigorate
classrooms, and offer a sustainable
28 SEPTEMBER 2017 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
source of supplies. Schools that utilize
these free supplies have halls decorated
with science displays, rainforest
models, Aztec masks, accordion books,
and many more brightly colored, sophisticated
projects made by their students
through their studies and research in
the classroom.”
The organization collects about 1.5
million pounds of materials each year and
is the largest provider of art supplies to
New York City public schools. Materials
are donated by an eclectic mix of sources
including Poppin Office Supplies, fashion
companies like Marc Jacobs and Eileen
Fisher, law firms, cultural institutions such
as Queens Museum and the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and Broadway shows.
MFTA also hosts field trips, in-school
residencies and public programs and
curates an art gallery.
If a teacher is looking to be added to
their school’s member account, they can
go through their principal or send an email
to education@mfta.nyc.gov.
Photo courtesy of Facebook/MFTA
Materials
for the Arts
transforms schools
by giving teachers
truckloads of free
materials they
can use to make
hands-on learning
possible for their
students.
JOHN CLOUD KAISER
MFTA Director of Education
