My students need this once in a lifetime experience for. It is a chance for them to get outside of their comfort zones, push themselves, and learn about their abilities.
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 classroom is a place of warmth and growth. My students are leaders who are very supportive of each other. They constantly encourage each other to not give up. Many of students have no idea what life is like outside of their neighborhood. My goal is to open their eyes to possibilities.
My students are incredible young people.
I am constantly astounded by their strength and commitment to learning. Our school is located in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Baltimore which means that my students have to overcome a great deal just to get to school in the mornings. When they do arrive, it is to a building without acquitted heat or air conditioning. Yet, they do not let that stop them.
My students see education as a way to transform their lives and the lives of their families. I am always impressed by their dedication and hard work as well as their optimism. Many of them are fascinated by different locations and different cultures. They see the value of education and how the lack of education can effect families and whole neighborhoods.
They do not give up on themselves or on each other.
My Project
One thing I love about Outward Bound is how my students feel after finishing a course. In the past, we have done day programs with school leaders and with the trainees from the Baltimore City Police Academy. Through such programs, my students have learned so much about themselves and about what they are capable. They have learned to support each other and about their own inner strength. They learn about setting goals and working hard to overcome those goals. With our program with the police trainees, they also learned to work with strangers (who they did not fully trust) in order to accomplish goals. Through those programs, my students learned to trust outsiders and to trust themselves. Days with Outward Bound are my favorite teaching days.
I can only begin to imagine what skills and self-knowledge they will get by doing a week-long excursion. By speaking to adults who completed such programs in high school, I have learned that such courses are life-changing experiences.
While my students are amazing, I am constantly horrified by the limits of their experiences.
Many have never left their neighborhood, spent the night away from home, had fresh fruit, or been outside the city.
This trip will allow them to have a life-changing experience which will teach them self-reliance, leadership skills, self-esteem, concern for others, and service to the community and how to care for the environment.
Plus, I think it will be a ton of fun for them! Learning should be fun.
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. Aylesworth and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.