This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
The youth in my school are from the inner city and many of them come from single family homes. They see lots of hardships including violence and poverty in their community. School programs provide the only safe environment for many of the students.
Team sports provides role models, discipline and an alternative to the streets.
The boys in particular act out in negative ways when they feel there are no positive options available to them. They do look forward to sports and respond well to strong role models when they are available to them.
My Project
My students will have comfortable outfits to practice in with this project. The numbered pinnies also help to create more realistic practice settings. Students can be more comfortable being identified by their numbers in practice and that would carry over to a game. In many cases the boys wear worn, old or inappropriate outfits to practice. It can at times provide moments of embarrassment and teasing from peers.
The physical appearance of an individual can shape how they feel about themselves.
When the boys get these new outfits, it can affect their confidence and performance in a positive way. A few times players have missed practice because they lacked the means to have a proper practice uniform. In some cases arguments happened because of what someone was wearing. I want to encourage students to not focus on appearance but peer pressure makes this difficult. I am hopeful that the new practice outfits and pinnies, will eliminate at least one problem that could harm a team.
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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 Mr. Stuart and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.