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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Starr from Elyria, OH is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Starr is requesting

Turning Boys into Young Men ~ 1 Book at a Time

My students need 16 copies each of 5 book titles that will allow me to ignite their interest in reading.

  • $1,018 goal

This project expired on June 11, 2010.

This project expired on June 11, 2010.

Classroom photo
Ms. Starr Northwood Elementary School
Elyria, OH Grades 6-8

I am a special education teacher, basketball and football coach, as well as, the adviser of an 8th grade all boys mentor book club, which consists of 16 at-risk students. I am writing this proposal for my Mentoring through reading Book Club. We meet daily, read books aloud, and discuss current issues that students are faced with: drugs / alcohol, gangs, peer pressure, death, school performance, etc..

I work in an inner city school district that has a high poverty rate. Many of my mentor students come from broken homes and several are being raised by their grandparents. When I originally began this book club it started with only eight boys, with whom I recruited from my football team. Not one of them had read a chapter book on their own prior to this group. Not one of them had a goal or desire to go to college. That is unless they could play football for a year and then go to the NFL. Five of the eight boys were placed on an academic waiver to play football beginning their 8th grade year. We set the following expectations: students must maintain a 2.5, dress up on Tuesdays, 3 strikes you're out behavior policy. If they could not live up to these standards they would be placed on academic probation and given a semester to rise above. The struggle was getting students to (1) want to read and (2) want to be successful in school. My students' largest complaint was that there were no books they could relate to in the library and therefore they were not interested in reading. After 2 months of our group meeting, a waiting list of 25 students formed waiting for one of the chosen to fail.

Most of my prior students disliked school, however our group helped to transform their ideals of not only reading but of education entirely. We are able to problem-solve and attack issues by reading books aloud and having discussions as a group. Boys are often reluctant to speak about their feelings, however by speaking through the characters my students are able to express themselves more freely. These books are allowing them to have a voice. I need these books to continue sparking their interest in reading and expose them to different authors and styles of writing. Also, most of these students do not own a book let alone have a personal library. These books would become their property and they could begin a library of their own and hopefully a passion for reading at the same time. Many positives came from our book club: improved attendance, behavior issues decreased, and grades now became a priority.

We are striving to be leaders within our building and gain a sense of pride and self worth. This group has allowed them to bond with each other and has pushed them to compete academically. Prior to this group, my students would fold a homework assignment up and jam it into their back pockets, never to be seen again. Now they are carrying home books and turning in completed homework assignments. Please help me in motivating these at-risk students to succeed in school and unearth the importance of an education. “It is the responsibility of every adult... to make sure that children hear what we have learned from the lessons of life and to hear over and over that we love them and that they are not alone.” -- Marian Wright Edelman

Half of students from low‑income households

Never Before Funded 16 students impacted
Ms. Starr Northwood Elementary School Grades 6-8 Elyria, OH View local requests

Half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

Never Before Funded 16 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Personal Workbook Sean Covey • Barnes and Noble $5.99 16 $95.84
Skeleton Creek (Skeleton Creek Series) Patrick Carman • Barnes and Noble $11.99 16 $191.84
Freak the Mighty • AKJ Books $6.10 16 $97.60
Lay ups and Long Shots: Eight Short Stories David Lubar • Barnes and Noble $14.35 16 $229.60
Night • AKJ Books $7.85 16 $125.60

Materials cost

$740.48

Vendor shipping charges

 $74.05

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$11.11

Fulfillment labor & materials

$9.00

Total project cost

$834.64

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$183.21

Total project goal

$1,017.85

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

Project Activity
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Starr and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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