What happens when kids head off to school with all the tools they need to succeed in the classroom? Studies show that with the help of school supplies, students are more likely to earn higher test scores, attend school more frequently and behave better in class.
That’s some pretty powerful stuff — and the inspiration behind Yoobi. Co-founded by Ido Leffler and launching exclusively at Target this week, Yoobi is a dynamic school supply brand that helps students in need. It offers a colorful collection of notebooks, jumbo highlighters, ballpoint pens, pretzel erasers and more with a “One for You, One for Me” brand promise.
Check out the video below to learn more.
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Below, we caught up with Ido to learn more about the inspiration behind the brand (kudos to his two daughters!) and his goal to impact more than 30,000 classrooms and 750,000 kids nationwide by 2015.
What’s the story behind Yoobi?
The idea for Yoobi was born from a trip down the school supply aisle with my daughters. I thought the aisle could use some new inspiration. But once I started visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers, I realized an entirely different motivation. We found the average teacher spends almost $500 on school supplies out of pocket! In creating Yoobi, we set out to not only disrupt the current assortment of supply options, but also solve an important problem along the way: providing access to school supplies for those in need.
Why are school supplies such an important part of a child’s education?
On a basic level, supplies are the tools children need to transform their thoughts and ideas into something physical. It’s a tactile approach to expression and communication that gives each child a sense of ownership over their own creativity. Building that self-confidence at an early age is incredibly important, and school supplies can enable any child to be proud of who they are and what they’re capable of creating.
Tell us about the name. What inspired it?
I was thinking of a way to get people excited about what we were about to embark on, and I kept going back to the notion of inspiring people to be whoever they want to be… You be great. You be awesome. You be YOU! I thought that had to be the name of the company: Yoobi. Our goal as a brand is to inspire kids to be whomever and whatever they want to be, and give them the tools to make their dreams a reality.
What is next for Yoobi?
Our mission is a long-term endeavor and Yoobi is dedicated to continuing to support schools until the disparity in supplies is eliminated, however long that takes. In that sense, the notion of success for us is a long way off. In the meantime, each Classroom Pack we send is a step in the right direction.
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