My students need glassware and supplies that haven't been exposed to chemistry for projects that are consumable and for our outreach program to a local elementary school.
What do soap, candles, lotion, sourdough starts, chewing gum, salves, perfume, cosmetics, yogurt and Chai have in common? They are all things anyone can learn how to make for themselves and learn science while making!
Our school is an alternative/innovative public school which is chosen by students who have been bullied and mistreated and want a safer school, for students who want to create stronger communities and work for social justice, for students who want to drive their own educations, for students who are too creative for mainstream schools and for students who have been excluded because of disabilities.
Our students want their education to be meaningful and inspiring. They want practical skills and to create and do rather than passively sitting back and being told what is worth knowing. Many students felt depressed and hopeless in science classes that delved deeply into environmental and social justice issues without offering concrete solutions. Students approached the Biology teacher and I (the Chemistry and Physics teacher) and asked us to teach a DIY science class so we created Balms not Bombs.
My Project
We need lab equipment that hasn't been exposed to chemicals so students can conduct inquiry projects in this class and learn science while making things that are safe to consume or put on their bodies. We, as an alternative school, have less funding than larger comprehensive high schools and have to fund raise to even have enough glassware to teach labs in our regular science classes. We do not have a budget for a classroom set of non-toxic equipment. We were able to fund raise and get donations for lots of the expensive ingredients necessary to have a class that is entirely based on making useful things but we are limited in the science we can teach when our measuring devices are not metric or typically used in science classes. We also have an extensive science outreach program that we take to a local elementary school and do science projects with 2nd graders. We need non-toxic equipment for this as well. The same equipment will be shared between these projects.
Teaching students to make their own gifts, cosmetics and household supplies out of simple natural starting materials is not just great for the environment it is transformative to the student.
Your help in funding this project could be the reason a student who never felt successful in science gets into college or a student who thought there was nothing they could do about toxins in their hygiene products creates their own line of cosmetics and lives a longer healthier life.
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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. Winet and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.