The 100 Black Men of Madison held its 25th annual Back to School Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 10, and several with ties to UW–Madison’s School of Education were on hand to help out at the event. 
Over the years, the 100 Black Men of Madison has provided more than 32,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to area youth. The Back to School Celebration today not only provides backpacks with school supplies, it now also makes available “vital services and exposures” to more than 2,000 economically disadvantaged youth and their families.This year’s celebration provided health screenings (including, vision, hearing, immunizations and asthma), school and reduced lunch registration, free books for children, certificates for free haircuts and car-safe seats, and much more.
This year’s event was held at Madison College’s Truax Campus.
Those from the School of Education helping out at the Back to School Celebration included: Antonella Pappolla, a Ph.D. student with the Department of Educational Policy Studies; Jessica Gorak, a master’s student in secondary education; Samantha Baruah, the associate director of the Teacher Education Center; and Francesca Rodriguez, a strategic program coordinator with the Dean’s Office.