A small rural district in the Adirondacks, on the banks of lake... that is Northville in a nutshell. But despite the beauty of the surroundings, poverty and school budget cuts hurt our future. The students in my classrooms struggle to keep up with larger schools where resources are more abundant.
These students live in a sheltered community, many of them never having traveled outside of the state.
They have a great deal of pride in their soccer programs and community. The centralized school district is close-knit and small, with graduating classes of usually less than 40 students.
Despite its small size, our kids have huge hearts. Students here participate in volunteer activities like Red Cross blood drives and Rachel's Challenge, school plays, fundraising for charitable causes, and research competitions. They strive to learn despite a lack of classroom materials, outside learning opportunities, and new and challenging initiatives placed before them.
Being from a poverty-stricken community also takes a toll on these kids as they navigate their futures. But still, students continue to overcome these obstacles and many aspire to go on to college.
My Project
Kindles in class will be a great benefit to these students. The school will be able to purchase texts at a reduced cost. For example, one text I use in my classroom is about $35 a copy, but the Kindle version is only $12. The Kindles will allow us to have access to more materials and varied texts which will expose these students to a plethora of cultures and ideas that they would otherwise be limited in exploring.
Kindles could also allow students to participate in research and webquests while reading, encouraging multiple levels of intelligence to develop, as well as a respect and deeper understanding of those texts and the cultures from which they come. Students here have limited access to computers; by having Kindles for use, they will learn pride in school materials as well as responsibility.
Donations to this project will open new door for students who constantly face closed doors.
Some of them believe that they will never get beyond their current status. But this use of technology will give them better ways to dream, stronger literacy skills, and motivation to attack their futures with enthusiasm and perseverance. They will have an opportunity to soar beyond even their own expectations, and they will rise to this challenge spectacularly!
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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 Mrs. Bevington and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
