UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Undergraduates in need of school supplies now have access to free items through the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success’s new School Supplies for Student Success program.
The Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success, located at 325 Boucke Building, University Park, serves as the primary location for the program, offering a wide range of essential supplies, including notebooks and writing utensils to headphones and more, to help students stay on track academically. Students may visit once every two weeks to pick up what they need during business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
In addition to the Chaiken Center, school supply pick-up is available at four additional locations.
University Park campus
- College of Agricultural Sciences, 122 Ag Administration Building
- College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Ryan Family Student Center, 14 Deike Building
Commonwealth Campuses
- Penn State Altoona, Student Success Center, 125G Eiche Building
- Penn State Hazleton, Student Success Center, 203 Butler Building
“Providing free school supplies is a step toward ensuring every student at Penn State has the tools they need to succeed when they enter the classroom,” said Kelly Griffith, Center director. “This initiative helps to ease financial burdens so students can focus on learning.”
School Supplies for Student Success received its initial funding from the Barnes & Noble College Grant Program and continues to grow through donations from the Penn State community.
How to support supply closets
The program relies on contributions to keep supplies available for students in need. High demand items include notebooks, folders, binders, index cards, dry erase boards and more. Anyone interested in donating items to the School Supplies for Student Success program can visit the Chaiken Center website or contact the Chaiken Center to find out what it most needs and how to provide it at uestudentsuccess@psu.edu.
Faculty, staff, student organizations and community members who would like to host a school supply drive or help promote the initiative can contact the center at completepsu@psu.edu.
About the Penn State Chaiken Center
The Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education and is located at 325 Boucke Building on the University Park campus. The center provides proactive support and tailored interventions to help undergraduate students develop essential skills, navigate academic transitions and foster a sense of connection and belonging. Other University Chaiken Centers are housed within the College of Information Sciences and Technology, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State Abington and Penn State World Campus.
To learn more, visit success.psu.edu.