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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Hardy from Annandale, VA is requesting reading nooks, desks & storage through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Hardy is requesting

A New Type of Classroom: A Home Away From Home

Help me give my students classroom furniture, such as bookcases, lamps, floor pillows, stools and fluorescent light covers to help me create a classroom more conducive to an inviting and functional learning experience.

  • $966 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate 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

My students are a testament to the American dream. They are mostly minority students, with eighty-five percent of them either currently receiving English as a Second Language services or having received them in the past. In addition to that tremendous obstacle, over ninety percent of my current students qualify for the free or reduced price lunch service, which means that their net home income is below the poverty line. In our senior class, sixty-eight percent of the students will be the first member of their family to graduate from an American high school.

Despite these incredible odds stacked against them, my students are trying their best to better themselves and be successful in academics.

What I admire most about them, in addition to their desire to do the best they can, is the level of pride they have in their cultures and also, the way that they embrace the different cultures represented at our school. I am in awe of the resilience, determination and strength that my students display on a regular basis. I would like to do whatever I can to make their learning experience in my classroom more welcoming, comforting and less stressful.

My Project

With my students coming from such financially disadvantaged homes, they often are unable to obtain to most basic of school supplies like notebook paper, pencils, binders, etc. I provide my students with everything that they need in an attempt to avoid highlighting their financial difficulties and to lessen the stress of having to ask their struggling parents/guardians for financial help. This has put a large monetary strain on me for the past eleven years and I am unable to keep providing the amount of supplies that I need to, in addition to completing this classroom project.

I am working very hard to create a learning environment that is different from their typical classroom.

I have tried to give my classroom a "home away from home" feel with rugs, comfy and different seating options and lamps. I want students to feel welcomed, comfortable and relaxed in my room and I have seen positive results thus far. My students have told me that coming to my room feels like "walking into a friend's house" and that it makes them feel more relaxed and able to focus. In my psychology classes, I have found that students are much more willing and relaxed to speak about difficult topics and it does truly create a sense of community within our room.

While I have been somewhat successful in changing up the typical classroom environment, there is more that I would like to do to give it the "homey" feel that I'm going for. For a lot of my students, their own homes are uncomfortable, cramped, dirty and not a relaxing environment. I'd like to provide my students with a place that feels like their own and that they look forward to coming to.

Mrs. Hardy
Grades 9-12

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

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
ReynosoHomeDecor 35x35 Square Pillow Insert Form • Amazon Business $45.00 3 $135.00
AmazonBasics Classroom Storage Cabinet with Casters, 5-Section • Amazon Business $129.99 1 $129.99
Poly and Bark Trattoria 18" Stool in Elmwood Bronze (Set of 4) • Amazon Business $121.14 1 $121.14
AmazonBasics Wooden Classroom Bookshelf, 2 Adjustable Shelf • Amazon Business $119.99 1 $119.99
AmazonBasics Classroom Storage Cabinet, 2 Shelves with Back • Amazon Business $89.99 1 $89.99
Rivet Diamond Cut Concrete Table Lamp, 20"H, With Bulb, Nickel Finish • Amazon Business $59.99 1 $59.99
Safavieh California Premium Shag Collection SG151-8484 Dark Grey Runner (2'3" x 9') • Amazon Business $53.42 1 $53.42
KRATI EXPORTS 5 Pcs Large Mandala Floor Pillows Wholesale Lot Square Indian Cushion Cover 35" Oversized Cushion Cover Cotton Seating Ottoman Poufs Dog/Pets Bed Sold • Amazon Business $34.70 1 $34.70
Educational Insights Fluorescent Light Filters (Whisper White), Set of 4 • Amazon Business $34.51 1 $34.51

Materials cost

$778.73

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$11.68

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$820.41

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$144.78

Total project goal

$965.19

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$965.19

7 Donors

-$742.66

Donations toward project cost

-$650.41

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$92.25

match offer

-$200.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$170.00

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$30.00

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$22.53

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

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

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Project Activity

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