Panda Cares Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Panda Express. Since 2020, the foundation has partnered with Communities In Schools® to help students succeed in school and in life.
Established in 1999, Panda Cares is committed to serving the communities in which they operate by providing food, funding and volunteer services to underserved youth, and disaster relief efforts. Panda Cares Foundation is powered by the in-store donation box program as well as Panda associates and valued business partners.
Panda Cares observes its anniversary on August 8th, also known as Panda Cares Day, with a celebration of giving back. Each year on this day, they commemorate Panda’s privilege of bringing joy to youth nationwide through the gifts of health and education. See highlights from their 2023 event.
As a middle school student, Zoe was very quiet and stayed to herself. Like many teenagers, self-esteem and anxiety are normal emotions on a daily basis. But for Zoe, the thought of going to school felt overwhelming.
Read more of A Boost of Confidence Helped Zoe Soar
"I have a “Take What You Need/Give What You Can” bulletin board, where students can grab an inspirational quote that can encourage them when they need positivity during their school day." -CIS Site Coordinator Heather Lindley
Read more of Creating School Environments that Inspire Confidence, Kindness, and Mindfulness
Before a student can benefit from a great teacher, engaging instruction, or any of the academic supports their school has to offer, they need to show up. And while that sounds obvious, for a growing number of North Carolina students, showing up is the hard part. During the 2024-25 school year, nearly one in four students across the state were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 10% of the school year, or roughly two days per month. For students experiencing poverty, the number increased to one in three students, which was 10 percentage points higher than the year before the pandemic.
Read more of When Students Aren’t in Their Seats, Learning Can’t HappenSign up to receive our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at CIS National and across our network.
