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Posted by Candice on
Friday,
May 28, 2010 at 11:32am
Teachers, citizen philanthropists, and DonorsChoose.org fans: ever had a burning question about how our founder, Charles Best, got DonorsChoose.org started? Or maybe you’re curious about his annual attempt at mustache growing? Well, now’s your chance to ask him, thanks to the Huffington Post & HP! Visit the Huffington Post to submit questions for Charles (You can even call him Charlie – he swears he doesn’t mind.). The “doers” who inspire the most questions will then be interviewed by the Huffington Post. You guys think Charles is more interesting than Ashton Kutcher, right?!
You should also check out HP’s call for entries for individuals who want to do something amazing. We know a lot of teachers who fall into that category! Submit your idea for a chance to win $25,000 in HP products and services. The submission period ends on June 6 so get those great stories in ASAP! Visit www.huffingtonpost.com/hpamazing to get started – and good luck!
Way back in September we announced a partnership with Disney’s Planet Challenge – a project-based learning environmental competition for 4th – 6th grade classrooms across the country. As part of this nationwide challenge, Disney offered 50% funding to DonorsChoose.org projects that engaged students to save the planet. Teachers in 37 states submitted projects (306 projects to be exact) and individual donors matched Disney’s generosity so that 52,672 students had the materials and resources to start making a difference in the environment. But that was just on DonorsChoose.org.
Back over on Disney’s Planet Challenge website, teachers were invited to submit the results of their projects for a chance to win a class trip to Disneyland. Thousands of classrooms registered and spent months collecting data, conducting field research, coming up with solutions for problems, promoting community involvement and documenting their efforts along the way.
A judging committee made up of scientists, environmental experts and educators including representatives from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and WestEd K-12 Alliance poured over project submissions and last month announced a winning classroom: Mrs. Julie Schnedler’s sixth grade Mediapolis Community School class for their project ‘Operation: Save the Quail.’
Just a few weeks ago, Mrs. Schnedler’s class visited Disneyland for a recognition ceremony that featured a formal presentation of their award in the park where the class was serenaded by Disney characters. If that wasn’t cool enough, the class got to ride on a float in a parade down Main Street! This, after an exciting morning that included a question and answer session with the Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the VP of ESPN Global X Games Franchise, a Senior Scientist, Pixar Animation Studios, and a Director from the US Environmental Protection Agency.
And what, you may ask, did Mrs. Schnedler’s class do to deserve these accolades and special treatment? How about saving saving the Northern Bobwhite Quail population in their hometown of Mediapolis, Iowa? The class took on a this daunting project after they discovered that the waning quail population – due to harsh weather and decreased prairie land – was a significant environmental issue facing Des Moines County.
To restore the quail’s natural habitat, students collected information through computer research and field work. With the help of community members, the class restored acres of existing conservation space in Luckenbill Woods by conducting a controlled burn to prepare the land and then replanting native vegetation to benefit local quail, promote diversity of wildlife and help to control soil erosion. Furthering their efforts, the students wrote to the local Pheasants Forever chapter, which fulfilled a request to help fund the project. Their dedication will make it possible for future 6th grade classes to continue the work and nurture the new land.
It was tremendous to see all the projects submitted for Disney’s Planet Challenge, and we tip our hats to Mrs. Schnedler’s sixth grade class. Well done! (And, oh yeah, thanks for riding Space Mountain with this lady from DonorsChoose.org who may have screamed the whole time.)
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Posted by Kirk on
Thursday,
May 27, 2010 at 5:16pm
The Arkansas Community Foundation (ARCF) is partnering with DonorsChoose.org to implement the 2010 SIMS (Science Initiative for Middle Schools) program in Arkansas! Funding for this mini-grant program is made possible by an endowed gift to ARCF from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
Each year, SIMS mini-grants are available to Arkansas public school teachers in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 who are teaching science in counties served by one of ARCF’s 27 local offices. ARCF and its local offices will consider projects that meet the criteria listed below and determine which projects receive funding. Visit www.arcf.org and click “local offices” to determine if your school is located in a county served by ARCF.
We are excited to announce that our friends at Progress Energy will once again fund $50,000 in energy-related project requests in the North and South Carolina communities it serves – with a twist!
This year, all qualifying projects will be funded to less than $100, on the condition that citizen philanthropists bring the project across the finish line. More details for teachers
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Posted by Nicole on
Wednesday,
May 19, 2010 at 4:55pm
Celebrate your favorite teachers! Starting today, you can join Bing in showing appreciation for the heroes of education. Great teachers inspire, excite, and have a positive impact on countless young lives. Yet they are often under-paid, under-supported, and under-appreciated. Bing and DonorsChoose.org are partnering to give teachers the materials and support they need.
This partnership encourages folks to share stories about great teachers, and will help reward teachers in the process. Choose up to five of your favorite teachers and post a comment about why you’ll never forget them. Bing will then give you a $5 gift card to help fund a DonorsChoose.org classroom of your choice.
Here’s how it works:
Post a comment here about a teacher who had a profound effect on your life or the life of a child you know.
Bing will email you a $5 gift code for your qualifying comment. Use this code to support a classroom project on DonorsChoose.org. You may post comments about five inspiring teachers.
Search for your comment on the Bing map. In June, Bing will send each teacher the comments they’ve received, congratulating them.
Who can comment?
Anyone who has been inspired by a K-12 teacher.
You may comment on a teacher of your own, or work with a child to comment about their teacher.
For a second year running, SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®, will put more than half a million dollars into classrooms across the country through their Limeades For Learning partnership with DonorsChoose.org! Come October, SONIC will have donated more than $1 million in supplies and learning materials to teachers. That’s a lot of limeade!
“SONIC and our franchisees have supported schools in local communities for some time,” said Cliff Hudson, chairman and chief executive officer of Sonic Corp. “During a time when teachers need help the most, we look forward to working with DonorsChoose.org to place supplies into classrooms and ultimately help students reach their full potential.”
From August 30 through September 30, anyone can visit LimeadesForLearning.com to vote for their favorite classroom project. SONIC will fund approximately $100,000 worth of projects every Friday during the five-week campaign – those with the most votes will be funded first! Learn more from the national partnership announcement.
Attention Teachers: You must register to be a SONIC teacher and submit a request for $400 or less in materials in order to qualify for this funding. See the below documents for full details.
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Posted by Kirk on
Monday,
May 10, 2010 at 9:43am
Last year U.S. Cellular funded $1.1 million in classroom requests at DonorsChoose.org as part of their Calling All Teachers campaign, and this year they’re at it again! Starting in September, $1 million in funding will be provided to projects across 25 states thanks to U.S. Cellular’s supreme generosity; teachers can prepare for this spectacular event now by registering as a “U.S. Cellular Teacher.” They must select the “U.S. Cellular Teacher” affiliation and must submit a new project between August 1 and September 15 to have their project(s) considered, but this doesn’t guarantee funding. Projects will be hand-picked for funding at the discretion of U.S. Cellular in the fall.
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Posted by Dan on
Wednesday,
May 5, 2010 at 2:55pm
People’s United Community Foundation loves the communities they serve. That is why they have partnered with DonorsChoose.org to help bring classroom materials to select school districts throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Westchester County, New York.
This incredible match offer motivated our friends at CIRTEC Medical Systems to further support classrooms in Springfield, Massachusetts. CIRTEC has piggybacked on People’s support, funding down projects in Springfield to under $100 leaving the rest up to YOU to bring the project to life.
Thanks People’s United Community Foundation and CIRTEC Medical Systems!
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Posted by Candice on
Wednesday,
at 2:49pm
Shmoop, the online company bringing literary and historical learning guides to classrooms nationwide, now offers AP test prep help too! Students can practice and study for AP exams in English Literature and Language, US History, and US Govt. The online courses include test-taking tips and strategies, practice drills, and exams. The courses are perfect for students needing a little boost in their testing skills, or their confidence. They’re also great preparation for college level exams.
As an official honoree of the 2009 Webby Awards and named “Best of the Internet” by PC Magazine, Shmoop comes highly recommended by teachers, students, and parents alike.
DonorsChoose.org teachers: please note that Shmoop won’t be found in eSchoolMall, but can be submitted as a Special Request project by teachers with 6 or more points.
