Office Depot, Inc. Partners with Lovejoy Independent School District to Develop High School STEM Wing

New Lighthouse for Learning Designed to Fuel Innovation and Discovery
Unveiled Today at Learning @ Lovejoy Conference

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading global provider of office
products, services, and solutions
, through its Office Depot and
OfficeMax brands, today announced the opening of a new STEM wing at
Lovejoy High School, located in Lucas, Texas. The STEM wing is scheduled
for an unveiling today at Learning
@ Lovejoy
, a nine day professional development conference that also
kicks off today with more than 50 sessions for every subject area, level
and role within K-12 education.

The nearly 28,000 square foot addition features 12 classrooms, two
engineering labs, five computer labs and one think tank incubator space,
geared toward teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Office Depot, Inc. provided full end-to-end services from visioning to
implementation of the furniture and equipment along with a financial
contribution toward the incubator space, which was designed to
facilitate a high-impact learning environment that fosters creativity
and innovation.

“Today’s classrooms need to stimulate learning in an environment where
technology and digital learning are integral components,” said Becki
Schwietz, senior director of K-12 Initiatives for Office Depot, Inc.
“The STEM program at Lovejoy exemplifies modern learning, and we are
pleased to contribute toward this innovative educational solution.”

The STEM wing provides students with two distinct applied learning areas
spanning two floors. On the first floor, students produce projects using
work tables and traditional and digital tools
under the apprenticeship of industry professionals and educators working
with them to design, prototype and synthesize advanced products. The
second floor, a think tank incubator nest, was created in collaboration
with Office Depot, Inc. and overlooks the busy workshop below. This
space facilitates ideation, observation and project management of the
first floor production area. Although the two areas are separated, they
were developed to facilitate collaboration through different steps
within the same student-led design process.

The space was designed to resemble an industrial and advanced digital
workshop with building systems such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC and
some structural beams left exposed to highlight the systems in place
that support and operate the building. The incubator space is outfitted
with conference tables, high-definition smart TV monitors, and office
chairs instead of the typical student seating. Learners and visitors to
the space can also experience furnishings and digital tools that are
common in modern STEM work environments.

The new STEM wing was developed with input from teachers, who worked
with the district to outline the program goals. The STEM courses offered
at Lovejoy High School support students in the practice of applying
diverse subject area skillsets in order to solve real world and
authentic problems, encourage creative thinking and problem solving, and
enhance collaboration among students and teachers.

“Office Depot has been a tremendous partner in helping our district
establish a 21st century model for educational design,” said Dennis
Muizers, deputy superintendent for Lovejoy Independent School District.
“The ability to be flexible in order to meet the needs of each student
is the hallmark of our learning spaces and instructional goals, and we
are thrilled to make this vision a reality for our students and take
their education to an even higher level.”

Office Depot, Inc. will also play an integral role at the Learning @
Lovejoy conference, which will feature an Office Depot Innovation Zone
where participants can explore an immersive 21st century learning
experience within the new STEM wing including dedicated workshops
featuring experiential collaboration and highlights from Lovejoy’s own
innovation journey with Office Depot, Inc. to reimagine education.

Office Depot, Inc. works with school districts around the country to
design classrooms with new technology and furniture to help meet the
changing needs of students today. It’s all part of the company’s “Committed
to Learning”
initiative, which has led to the formation of a
national team of education experts and partners across disciplines. In
developing this team, the company provides instructional solutions and
professional development for educators to enrich the learning
experience, in addition to forging partnerships with thought leaders in
the industry to focus on early literacy, cognitive computing,
entrepreneurship, project-based learning and innovative learning spaces.

About Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services,
and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office,
home, school or car.

Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work
better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more
productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print
and document services, business services, facilities products,
furniture, and school essentials.

The company has annual sales of approximately $16 billion, employs
approximately 56,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in
59 countries with approximately 1,800 retail stores, award-winning
e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization
– all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations,
franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under
several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, Grand & Toy,
and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include
TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace and HighMark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found
at: http://news.officedepot.com.

Contacts

Office Depot, Inc.
Julianne Embry, 561-438-1451
julianne.embry@officedepot.com
or
Edelman
Sarah
Hoffman, 512-634-3651
sarah.hoffman@edelman.com

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