Back-to-school season can be a challenge for many low-income families.

The Center for Civic Engagement at West Virginia University wants to make sure all area children are ready for the start of the school year, so it kicked off a drive today (Aug. 14) to benefit the Scotts Run Settlement House annual school supply giveaway.

WVU has set up three collection sites: the Center for Civic Engagement in 109 White Hall, One Waterfront Place Room 6305 and the Student Health Service at the Health Sciences Center. Supplies may be dropped off between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.

The following items are needed: backpacks, facialtissues, college-ruled paper and notebooks, crayons (8-count packs only), composition notebooks, lined handwriting paper, big pencils, colored pencils, binders (1 or 1only), markers, highlighters, rulers, pencil boxes, folders, dividers, erasers, glue sticks, graph paper, book covers and protractors.

Last year, more than 650 students received supplies through the giveaway, said Franchesca Nestor, service-learning coordinator for the Center for Civic Engagement.

The drive continues through Friday, Aug. 18. For more information, call 304-293-8761.