LOWELL, Ark. — J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has awarded a total of $55,000 to 55 classrooms throughout the country during the 10th consecutive year of its Adopt-a-Class program.
The program is an annual company initiative providing classrooms with resources to obtain learning supplies and additional classroom essentials, a news release stated.
“Adopt-a-Class is one of my favorite programs we offer at J.B. Hunt because it enriches education for students all throughout the country, specifically for the families of our drivers,” Craig Harper, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at J.B. Hunt, said. “Teachers work hard to ensure their students have the resources they need to be successful, and it’s imperative we do our part in giving back to the communities we live in.”
J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-a-Class program was founded in 2013 and allows drivers to have a direct impact on giving to the community. Each year, J.B. Hunt drivers nominate their child or grandchild’s classroom — kindergarten through fifth grade — for a chance to receive a school supply donation by submitting an essay.
Once recipients are notified, drivers often visit the classrooms to congratulate the teacher and students.
William Quintana, a J.B. Hunt Dedicated Contract Services driver, had the honor of delivering to his daughter’s classroom this year at Monitor Elementary School in Springdale, Arkansas.
“Contributing to the class is really important because you don’t know how much supplies they get,” Quintana said. “So, contributing to them, it makes me feel happy knowing they’re going to have more things to do during the school year. It gives them more opportunities to do more science work or other activities, that they could have missed out on.”
During his visit to Monitor Elementary, Quintana delivered a gift box to the classroom.
The delivery included a gift card for classroom supplies, along with J.B. Hunt Adopt-a-Class shirts, hats, foam trucks and activity books for students to enjoy. The students were then able to learn about Quintana’s career as a J.B. Hunt driver and take a tour of his company truck.
Angela Moore, a third-grade teacher at Monitor Elementary, said the funds will be valuable to her students’ learning experience.
“My kids are getting an opportunity to have those hands-on activities that are so important to them,” Moore said. “Instead of being on a screen, they are doing things hands-on, that are building their brain, and just helping them with decision making and problem-solving skills.”
Since the inception of the program, 255 classrooms across the country have been selected for Adopt-a-Class, bringing J.B. Hunt’s total classroom donation to more than $200,000.
It resulted from a previous pen-pal-like program the company hosted in which drivers would send postcards to the classrooms describing the places they would visit while traveling for their job. As more local and regional driving opportunities became available, the program evolved to maintain the educational benefits and experience of drivers engaging with students.
Chante Gordon, an elementary teacher in North Riverside, Illinois, shared how excited her students were to be selected as a recipient of J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-a-Class program.
“I cannot thank J.B. Hunt enough for the generous donation and making today so special for my students,” Gordon said. “They were thrilled to have their own gift bags to open, ask their questions, learn about what a truck driver does, and especially seeing the truck and honking the horn. So many students told me this was the ‘best day ever!’ and are excited to help make decisions about what we will purchase for our classroom. It was truly such a special day and one we will remember.”
In October, J.B. Hunt announced it had awarded $250,000 in scholarships to 100 recipients as part of the company’s new scholarship program, the J.B. Hunt Scholarship Program for Families. The company plans to continue the program in 2023, with awards being renewable each year for up to four years as long as the recipient maintains a 2.5 GPA and full-time enrollment.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
