Office Depot, Inc. is determined to help students and teachers prepare for back-to-school as early as possible (we all know it will be here before we know it!)

Today, the supply juggernaut released a series of suggestions for how students and teachers can take advantage of its offerings as soon as possible to start preparing for the next school year.

"In today’s digital age, shoppers are always on the go. Parents, college students and teachers can shop for the latest gear at their convenience with Office Depot’s omni-channel options that allow them to shop online from any device and choose whether to have products delivered to their door or ready for pick up in store,” Office Depot said in a statement.

For those looking for deals, Office Depot and OfficeMax stores will be offering a series of deals that teachers and students can take advantage of over the summer months. For one, the stores will be offering penny deals every week that will feature a different set of discounted products.

For educators specifically, they can save 25 percent off purchases by becoming rewards members both July 30- Aug. 2 and Aug 27-30. The earlier savings windows will likely provide teachers access to quality supplies before the mad rush comes in the week before school begins again.

Office Depot also made mention of its binder recycling program, a program that allows shoppers to bring empty, old binders to store locations to receive $2 off a new binder. Seeing as most teachers spend an average of $500 of out-of-pocket money on supplies year after year, every penny counts!

Another interesting component of Office Depot’s latest release is its mention of its efforts engaging students via Snapchat.

"Office Depot is joining Snapchat just in time for back to school. Users who add Office Depot (username: OfficeDepotLive) will see fun – and funny – office- and school-related snaps, as well as brainteasers to help them get back into school mode after a long summer break,” the company said.

Office Depot’s utilization of Snapchat for brain teasers is further evidence that Snapchat has the potential to be an important and engaging learning tool going forward.

Read more about Office Depot’s early back-to-school efforts here.

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

7/5/2016