Two juniors at Mercer Island High School, Katelyn Travis and Ella Veljovich, are making the ​ back-to-school process easier, while benefitting disadvantaged children worldwide. They have taken over a business that provides bulk school supplies to Islander Middle School students entering sixth, seventh or eighth grade, according to a press release.

Supplies are sold in convenient packages, which contain all of the required supplies for IMS students. All of HelpEduc8’s profits are donated to a nonprofit organization called Save the Children, which provides educational, economical and social aid to kids.

HelpEduc8 began several years ago when its original founder, Kendall Fagan, saw the need for a school supplies provider at IMS. During his sixth grade year, Fagan created HelpEduc8 with the intent to provide convenient packages of school supplies to students and families. He managed this charity all through middle school and high school.

When Fagan left for college, he passed on the charity to three incoming MIHS freshmen: Lindsey Reitinger, Amanda Wall and Evelyn Davis. They took on the responsibility of managing and growing HelpEduc8 over the next four years.

Last year, Reitinger, Wall and Davis left for college, and taught Travis and Veljovich all about HelpEduc8 so they could take over the charity and continue its legacy.

Over the course of the past several years, HelpEduc8 has grown immensely. This year, $5,000 was donated to Save the Children from HelpEduc8’s profits.

Travis and Veljovich have been working hard this past summer to successfully manage the growing business, and hope to raise even more money to help children worldwide.

“HelpEduc8 not only provides money to a wonderful charity, it also teaches us about responsibility and about running a business,” Travis said in the press release. “Ella and I have already learned so much from this experience, and I know that all of the skills we are learning, like communication and organization, will help us later in life.”

HelpEduc8 ordering is open from June 30 to Aug. 12. For more, see www.helpeduc8.org.