I am always looking for innovative ways to engage my students. I teach art to 650 students at a Title One elementary school. As my school is located in an impoverished area, my students do not have access to many things that middle-class Americans take for granted.
Two years ago, I started an afterschool program for my 4th and 5th grade students. I run an art club, which allows me to give more in-depth instruction. We have experimented with painting, photography, graphic design and sculpture using recycled materials.
Approximately 80 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch. Over 40 percent have English as a second language. My students daily face the challenges common to areas affected by economic depression. Oftentimes, the art classroom provides one of the only places where they can readily succeed, without being hampered by academic, linguistic, or socioeconomic barriers.
Without a doubt, photography has been a favorite among the students. Until now, I have relied on the use of 2 digital cameras borrowed from teachers, shared amongst 40+ students. Needless to say, this has inhibited my ability to use this medium effectively. I would love to teach them more about photography, but lack the means to do so.
I am seeking 6 digital cameras to facilitate the lessons I have planned for my art club students. One critical component of my role at the school, as I see it, is to empower my students. I strive to teach them skills that they can directly apply to their lives to make a difference. I plan to teach them not only some of the fundamental principles of taking photographs, but also, how they can use those principles to examine, document and impact the world around them.
Your generosity will directly affect my students by allowing them the opportunity for this unique learning experience. By giving them engaging and meaningful lessons in the visual arts, I hope to teach them much more than basic artistic techniques. I have a strong commitment to reach as many children as I can, in order to enable them to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Please help me in this.
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