UPDATE: We did it! Your tweets helped us unlock an extra $50,000 to support STEM projects from Craig Newmark. Thank you for sharing your #STEMStories!
At the end of the last school year, our longtime friend Craig Newmark, the founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, came to us with an idea.
Craig has served on our National Advisory Council since 2008, and has long supported DonorsChoose.org projects — including in 2016 on #BestSchoolDay and then again last year with a campaign to support military families. For this year, he wanted us to help him figure out a new way to get the most essential materials into America’s classrooms.
Craig asked us if would it be possible to poll teachers to find out what type of funding opportunity would make the most impact on their classrooms. DonorsChoose.org is built on the idea that teachers know best what their stu9dents need to learn, so we responded with a resounding “Yes!” We turned to our Teacher Facebook Community to ask the question, and the results were overwhelming: Teachers need STEM materials!
Last month, we turned those results into a new match offer. To kick off the back-to-school season, Craig Newmark matched donations to thousands of qualifying STEM projects in high-need communities. In total, this match supported over 3,000 teachers at 2,500 schools. The match has wrapped up, but the fun isn’t over yet!
Share Your #STEMStories
These materials will make an incredible impact, but Craig also wants people across the country to understand why supporting these projects is so essential. Here’s where you come in. Whether you’re a teacher or just inspired by their incredible work…
- Head over to Twitter
- Use the hashtag #STEMStories
- Share a post about why STEM matters to you
Each tweet will help to unlock an additional $50,000 from Craig for STEM projects created by DonorsChoose.org teachers!
#STEMStories matter because they provide my students the opportunity to investigate #STEM at their own pace. Developing an atmosphere of creativity is paramount! pic.twitter.com/3krlboGMkT
— Edwina Lawson (@EdwinaLawson1) August 31, 2018
A huge thank-you to Craig Newmark and all of the teachers who answered our poll for thinking up this innovative campaign!
