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.
Outdoor education is an opportunity for students to connect with nature, form bonds with classmates and develop independence. It is also an opportunity for students to learn science concepts in a very hands-on way.
Columbian Elementary is an urban school.
Over 95% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch. We have a strong community and many of our 5th grade students have been together since pre-k. While some struggle academically, they are hardworking, respectful and caring. Each one of them has played a part to help in the fundraising efforts for camp. They have attended PTA meetings to present the budget and fundraising ideas. They have made posters for fundraisers, served food and cleaned up after the event.
We typically don't have to ask for their help because they offer it before we can ask. These are students who come from families that don't have much to give, but they are giving everything they have because this camp is important to them.
My Project
5th grade students in our district go to a camp that charges a very small fee ($13.00) because it is a camp that is owned by the district. This year, the camp had to cancel all their trips because the roads to the camp were washed out in the floods in September.
We found an alternate camp for the students to attend, but we will have to pay the entire cost since this camp is not owned by the district. We have applied for scholarships, written grants and held fundraising events to pay for camp. The only expense we have left is to pay for a school bus to take us to and from the camp.
Families at Columbian don't have the money to send their children to overnight camps.
This experience in the 5th grade is generally the only one these students will get, and for many of them, it is the first time for them to go to the mountains. It is also great for them to learn science in a very hands-on and relevant way. The things these students learn, and the memories they make, will stay with them for a lifetime.
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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. Daugherty and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
