River Valley Education Solutions (RVES) is proud to announce the successful completion of its 2026 Backpack Drive, providing 107 local students with personalized backpacks filled with essential school supplies as they prepare to return to the classroom.
This year’s backpack drive introduced a new, more meaningful approach. Rather than receiving identical supplies, each student completed a preference form sharing favorite colors, interests, and other personal preferences. Sponsors then shopped specifically for their assigned student, creating backpacks tailored to each child’s personality and needs.
“We wanted every student to know that someone was thinking specifically about them,” said Victoria (Tori) Schmitt, owner of River Valley Education Solutions. “Every student should feel confident walking in on the first day of school. By personalizing each backpack, we hoped every child would feel seen, valued, and excited to start the school year.”
The annual initiative was made possible through the generosity of local businesses, churches, organizations, and individual donors who came together to support families throughout the River Valley. The backpack drive serves students from multiple school districts and helps ease the financial burden many families face during the back-to-school season.
River Valley Education Solutions extends its heartfelt gratitude to New Life Church, First Baptist Church, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, West-Ark Church of Christ, and the Junior League of Fort Smith for their generous support of this year’s Backpack Drive. Their partnership, along with the kindness of numerous individual sponsors and volunteers, made it possible to provide 107 personalized backpacks to local students.
“This project is a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together for a common purpose,” Schmitt said. “Seeing so many people invest in the lives of local students has been incredibly encouraging, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s backpack drive a success.”
River Valley Education Solutions is a Fort Smith-based educational consulting and tutoring organization dedicated to helping students reach their full potential through individualized academic support, educational evaluations, advocacy services, and family resources.
For more information about River Valley Education Solutions or its community initiatives, please contact: Victoria (Tori) Schmitt Owner, River Valley Education Solutions Phone: 479-259-6873 Email: vschmitt.rves@gmail.com
