Chicago group supplying students with back-to-school necessities Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined a back-to-school effort Wednesday on Chicago's South Side. CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined a back-to-school effort Wednesday on Chicago's South Side. The work is part of the Cradles to Crayons "Ready for Learning" initiative that will supply 60,000 Chicago area kids with backpacks full of pencils, folders and more. It is the largest school supply distribution effort in our area. "(It helps) deliver for the children of our communities who otherwise go into a free public school that isn't really free," Pritzker said. Employees and volunteers working at the new Discover Customer Care center in Chatham put together more than 12,000 back to school bundles.