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
This is my first year teaching an environmental science course (with an urban ecology twist) and I am beyond excited! Inevitably, my excitement has passed on to my students. My 8th graders started off as rather reluctant to learn about the natural world, but bit by bit, they have become more involved, observant, and aware of the natural world around them.
They've grown from students who noted "there are less pandas in the world than Panda Express" to students who ask "what else is going on and how can we fix the problems?"
They ask to volunteer in our campus gardens, they come after school to take home seeds to start home gardens, they spend time using the Seek app to study local flora and fauna.
It is not an easy course, as the content oftentimes feels heavy and hopeless, but my students are growing in their care of each other and their communities. They're becoming first rate environmental stewards and together, I know we can achieve great change.
My Project
My students love being able to get outdoors and partake in hands-on activities. These materials will allow them to have the best of both worlds. We will be collecting and preparing soil samples from around our campus in order to determine whether our soil is ready to plant or if it needs to be amended.
This is part of our plan to revolutionize our outdoor spaces and bring more gardens on to our campus.
More importantly however, it is part of my plan to help my students connect with build an appreciation for the natural world around them.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Gonzalez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
