July 1, 2025
Education major launches lesson plan supply closet
To create engaging materials for their classrooms, teachers need access to a range of supplies, including chart paper, markers, construction paper, glue and more. This led East Carolina University Elementary Education Club president and elementary education major Rebekah Price to design and launch the College of Education (COE) Lesson Plan Supply Closet in partnership with the Joyner Library Teaching Resources Center.
“The idea for the supply closet came to me during the spring 2024 semester when I was in my junior 1 year in the elementary education program,” Price said. “That semester I began writing full lesson plans, as well as creating anchor charts and gathering materials for my lesson plans and field experiences for the first time.”
Price noticed how quickly the cost of all of these materials started to add up and began thinking about how helpful it would be to have one central place where students could go to access materials.
“I wanted to create something that would not only help reduce the financial stress that can come with these early teaching experiences but also promote a sense of community, where we support each other, share resources and make sure everyone has what they need to succeed,” she said.
This idea coincided with Price’s leadership in the Elementary Education Club, where she worked with the other officers to draft a proposal for the closet.
“I am extremely proud of Rebekah as she came into the club with the idea of supporting education majors by providing free resources to use for lesson designing,” said Dawn Shelton, elementary education master teaching instructor and advisor for the Elementary Education Club. “She put forth much effort in preparing a proposal, presenting it to the chair of the department, securing funding and organizing materials in a central location. Being the strong leader that she is, Rebekah has seen the project through to fruition, and just in time as she will be completing her internship in the fall of 2025.”
The closet opened in late spring 2025 and is available for all education majors in the Teaching Resources Center. Some of the supplies available for students include anchor chart paper, markers, glue sticks, scissors, construction paper and more.
“Starting the supply closet has been one of the most rewarding parts of my time in the program,” Price said. “It’s been amazing to see the impact it’s already having in its first month, and I’m excited to watch it continue to grow. My hope is that it remains a helpful resource for future education students, and that it encourages a culture of collaboration, generosity and shared success within the College of Education.”