16-year-old collected 60 backpacks for 7 schools, then created 4 ‘Kindness Karts’

A 16-year-old student from Pennsylvania, Annie McIntyre, turned an idea to help children prepare for school into a community initiative that reached seven schools across three school districts. Through a project called Build-a-Backpack, the Scranton Preparatory School student collected 60 backpacks filled with school supplies, along with hundreds of additional stationery items. She also created four “Kindness Karts”, stocked with supplies that students could take after performing an act of kindness, encouraging them to help others in return. The initiative grew through contributions from family, friends, local businesses and restaurants. What began as a school-supply drive also inspired other students to seek McIntyre’s advice on starting their own community-service projects, extending the impact of her efforts beyond the backpacks themselves.How Build-a-Backpack grew from an idea into a community projectMcIntyre developed the idea for Build-a-Backpack in March 2026, with help from her teacher, Dominique Preate. She began seeking donations in June, using social media to spread the word and placing collection boxes at local businesses and restaurants. Family members, friends and oth...