Eliminating Period Poverty in Iredell Schools
The Red Cart Project seeks to address period poverty in Iredell County by providing students at public schools free access to period supplies. We are currently serving over 7,500 students across 23 schools.
Since the launch of Red Cart Project in Fall 2022, we have supplied over 165,000 products and saved students approximately 14,000 hours of class time by having convenient access to products in the restrooms.
By having period products in the bathrooms, students can:
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Avoid stress from the potential for embarrassing leaks
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Stay in class
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Focus on learning
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Avoid risking their health by creating a menstrual barrier out of toilet paper, fabric, paper towels, or other unhealthy products.
What is Period
Poverty?
Period poverty is limited or inadequate access to menstrual products as a result of financial constraints or negative socio-cultural stigmas associated with menstruation.
Period Equity
Those students who lack access to products are 5.89 times more likely to miss school and 4.14 times more likely to leave school early, as compared to those who can afford products. The Red Cart Project will provide products in bathrooms so that all students who need them, have them available without having to ask a anyone.
THe difference
"Our school nurses regularly provide menstrual health products to students who either cannot afford products or do not have access to products on a particular day. With only one nurses office on campus, going to visit the nurse for menstrual health products, particularly on our multi building high school campus, is significant time out of the classroom. In addition, funds for menstrual health products are not in the educational budget. Thanks to the Red Cart Program, we will be able to meet the menstrual health needs of our students in a way that provides equitable access to the needed products for our students at Mooresville Middle School and Mooresville High School, and that is a significant win against period poverty!"
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Mooresville Graded School District
Tanae Sump-McLean, Chief Communication Officer
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Project Name
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