As a school Technology Coordinator, I get to support and invest in all the students on our campus, and as a result, I see how poverty affects so many of their lives. Seeing this poverty prompted me to create an after-school media class seven years ago. I wanted to give students a chance to work with new technologies and to create visual stories that they could share with others and be proud of.
My school is a Title I school where 85% of our students receive free or reduced-cost lunch.
Being that our students come from economically disadvantaged homes, many do not have exposure to visual media tools such as cameras and microphones. Our media class provides this exposure to technology and to skills like teamwork, collaboration, and storytelling. Most of all, it provides them with a voice and a way to share their stories.
My Project
Our after-school media class is comprised of 10 students who have been learning the ins and outs of visual storytelling through video production. We would now like to expand our program to include podcasting, which is a digital audio recording that can be broadcasted through the Internet and listened to on a computer or mobile device. However, our media class lacks the proper audio equipment to record their podcasts.
If awarded this equipment, my students will be able to record their stories and the stories of others in a way that will have a strong impact on our school community.
They will have the confidence that their message is loud and clear and that it will have the strongest possible impact on the audience. Best of all, as their stories impact others, my students' confidence will grow as they see how their voice can impact and positively change their community.
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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. Rhoades and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.