This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Gazdziak from Chicago, IL is requesting other through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Gazdziak is requesting

Fully Funded

Mr. Gazdziak's classroom raised $489

Building a School Garden

My students need raised garden beds for planting vegetables, herbs, and native plants. They have been composting already and need the beds in order to complete the cycle.

Mr. Gazdziak Pasteur Elementary School

Chicago, IL Grades 3-5

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

The most exciting part of any lesson is getting hand-on and messy. Our class has been getting messy all year. We compost our fruit and vegetable scraps after every lunch and feed them to our worms and compost bins. Now we have a nice supply of compost, but nothing to do with it. We need a garden.

My thirty students attend class in an urban, high needs school where most receive free or reduced price lunches.

Many of my students come from a bilingual background. The pressure to learn to read, write, and do math means hands-on science opportunities are often low on the priority list. Not in this class, though! We have been leading the way by doing hands-on science activities throughout the year. We have observed seeds grow, collected and classified leaves, watched a praying mantis, and documented decomposition. The year isn't even half over yet.

My Project

One of the big projects we have worked on this year is to improve our recycling. We have been sorting our trash and placing all of our fruit and vegetable scraps into worm bins or outside composting bins. In the spring we hope to harvest a big supply of compost to help fertilize some soil and grow plants at school. Our problem is that we have no garden. The grounds around our school are all paved or compacted by foot traffic and recent renovation construction. The best solution is to build raised garden on top of the compacted land. Through this project, the students will see the next step in the cycle of nutrients and consumption. They will see how nutrients can and should be returned to the soil to be reused by plants, which can then be consumed and decomposed again.

With your help my students will be able to see themselves making a difference in the world.

They will see how their efforts have caused a positive change in the school and in the community. Then they will share their knowledge with others, causing an even bigger impact.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

90 students impacted 3 donors

Project tagged as

Chicago, IL
Grades 3-5
Climate & The Environment
Science
Traditional School
Other
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

Mr. Gazdziak Pasteur Elementary School Grades 3-5

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Chicago, IL View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

90 students impacted 3donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Gazdziak is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Copy this cart

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

DMC Aspen Cedar Wood Raised Garden • SimplyPlanters.com $119.99 3 $359.97

Materials cost			$359.97
Vendor shipping charges			$15.00
Sales tax			$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee			$5.40
Fulfillment labor & materials			$35.00
Total project cost			$415.37
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$73.30
Total project goal			$488.67
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$488.67
2 Donors			-$75.00
Donations toward project cost			-$63.75
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$11.25
match offer			-$413.67
Match offer toward project cost			-$351.62
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$62.05
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$0.00

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

View complete list Show less

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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 Mr. Gazdziak and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works

{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"IL","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/building-a-school-garden/698793/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":90,"isEquityFocusV1":true,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Gazdziak","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"-1309069752","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Chicago","teachersOnPage":[23738],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":698793,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":5359,"schoolName":"Pasteur Elementary School","authorIds":{"23738":{"owner":"Mr. Gazdziak","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[698793],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp23738_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1486079506819","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":44441,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MTA3Mjg3MQ==","NzM2ODQ4","Mjc4MDg3"],"teacherId":23738,"schoolCounty":"Cook","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"IL","name":"Illinois"}}

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Building a School Garden

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

My Students

My Project

Project tagged as

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.