GIVING BACK
Teacher Appreciaton Local candle company encourages teachers with gifts funded by nostalgic candles.
veteran teacher Kari Miller-Palmborg decided to combine her desire to create natural, pure scented candles with her passion for bringing awareness to the work that teachers do for future generations. Using memories as a former student and teacher as the source of her inspiration, Chalkboard Candle Co. is home to 14 school-themed coconut wax candles and melts. With scents like “Detention,” “Field Trip” and “Recess,” each candle works to support teachers and provides a nostalgic schoolyard memories for any and everybody. With gift recognitions typically consisting of supplies, books or money to fund elements in the classroom, MillerPalmborg wanted to create something that would acknowledge what teachers are doing in a new way. Developing the “Surprise My Teacher” initiative, Chalkboard Candle Co. sends checks to teachers whose names have been entered in a drawing of submissions provided by customers during their candle purchase. Awarded with the understanding that “they should and can use the check however they want to use it,” MillerPalmborg emphasizes that it does not just have to be for their classrooms and should be used in a way to treat themselves. “Teachers that work so hard and sacrifice so much and don’t get paid the best,” she says. “[The check] is really just to show them that we see them, and we appreciate the work that they are doing.” Using a percentage of sales to source these checks, Miller-Palmborg says she originally expected to gift one each month, but due to the success of the business they have been able to award a gift check nearly every week since starting last fall. “As a teacher I got joy out of seeing my students happy or excited about something and I’m still getting that feeling just in a different way,” she says about the positive reviews she receives from customers and teachers. BY AVA DIAZ
18
OCTOBER 2021
PHOTO: CHALKBOARD CANDLE CO.
AFTER BURNING HUNDREDS OF CANDLES IN HER OWN HOME,
