New York, New York, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, is donating a total of $2.2 million to U.S. public school classrooms through education nonprofit DonorsChoose. Each DonorsChoose project in a Panda Express® neighborhood will receive up to $1,200 to fulfill teachers’ resource requests for their students.
Public school teachers who responded to a DonorsChoose survey said that they annually spend, on average, at least $600 of their own money on school supplies for their students. To ease this burden on educators and get resources to students, Panda Cares is launching its fifth year of partnership with DonorsChoose.
“The need to support our teachers is stronger than ever,” said Tina Hsing, Panda Cares Director. “Partnering with DonorsChoose aligns with Panda’s mission of inspiring better lives. It’s our privilege to help provide the necessary tools for our youth to thrive and for our teachers to teach.”
Since 1999, Panda Cares has raised over $415 million for the health and education needs of underserved youths. With DonorsChoose, Panda Restaurant Group has matched donations to projects focused on the classroom environment, funded Lunar New Year projects fostering greater cultural understanding of the holiday, and funded projects fueling academic success at schools in local Panda Express neighborhoods. Since its first partnership with DonorsChoose in 2021, Panda Cares has funded over $15 million in classroom resources for 31,000 teachers at over 13,000 U.S. public schools, particularly schools where more than half of students are from low-income households.
“Panda Cares is making it easier for public school students across the U.S. to have what they need for the best education,” said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. “Panda Cares stands in solidarity with its neighborhood schools. By reaching a milestone of funding more than $15 million in classroom resources on DonorsChoose, Panda Cares is underscoring the importance of empowering educators and students in our local communities.”
ABOUT PANDA CARES®
About Panda Express®
Panda Express, the largest Asian dining concept in the US, is a family-owned and operated restaurant brand founded in 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng. Driven by a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express is recognized as a trailblazer in American Chinese cuisine. The company has pioneered iconic dishes like The Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, creating a variety of industry-first recipes. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by authentic Chinese flavors and culinary principles. With over 2,500 locations across the country and a presence in 11 international countries, Panda Express continues to share American Chinese cuisine with the world.
Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $415 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 16 million youth and supporting communities in need since 1999. Panda Cares lives into its mission of inspiring better lives by giving back to its local communities and shaping a brighter future for generations to come through volunteer services, funding, and meal donations. Areas of focus include leadership and academic programs for students, and whole person healing for patients. In 2021, Panda Cares Centers of Hope were created for patients and students nationwide as a space where they can heal and learn. For more information, visit www.pandacares.org.
ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 6.3 million people and partners have contributed $1.7 billion to support over 3 million teacher requests for learning resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the teacher, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.
Juan Brizuela DonorsChoose media@donorschoose.org
