This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My students come to school each day excited to learn. They arrive most days with a smile, eager to get into the learning of the day.
All of my students come from low-income households, most arriving without even a folder or pencil.
My students are ready to learn, they just need to tools to do so! They are inquisitive, hard-working, and bright members of our classroom community--but we need more. All children are capable of achieving great things, but these skills are learned and cannot be learned without access to resources.
My Project
My school is situated on the West Side of Chicago, an area systemically neglected and segregated within the city. Ninety-six percent of our school's students come from low-income households.
Students come to school with no supplies, as the purchasing of school supplies is yet another barrier standing in way of a young learner.
Systemic disinvestment in our community leaves families facing many barriers to successful and safe schooling. My students are bright and eager, but we need more. Students need tools with which to explore and cultivate the depths of their knowledge. All children are capable of achieving great things, but these skills are learned and cannot be learned without access to resources.
Each morning, students will open the day by writing in their journal, telling me and their peers about what happened the night before or responding to a prompt such as “When it rains, I like to...”. Having a journal with developmentally appropriate lines to write and sufficient space to illustrate fosters strong handwriting skills and builds confidence in young writers. Students use all these resources throughout the day across subject areas, pencils to write about their day and complete math activities, crayons to illustrate an inventive story, a blank sheet of paper or cardstock to turn into something all their own (it’s probably no surprise—we see lots of cards to bring home to mom and dad!). We use chart paper and a laminator to create resources together as a classroom community, with input from each child on display for the whole class to see and learn from.
Your generous donation would provide students not just with crayons and pencils, but with a sense of responsibility and ownership in their classroom. Thank you for your critical role in providing them with this opportunity!
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. P and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
