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Mrs. Keleher from Chicago IL is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Challenges, Puzzles, Collaboration, Teamwork, Learning, Growing

My students need a variety of locks and boxes to create BreakoutEDU kits.

  • $303 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

My Students

I am an inclusion special education teacher for an amazing group of creative, kind, enthusiastic, and hardworking middle school students. These students are extremely diverse in terms of socioeconomic status and ethnicity, as well as in academic ability. My students with special needs include students with autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, and social/emotional disabilities. Within our inclusive school, these students are part of larger classes that include students who speak different languages, have a variety of family structures, and have greatly different life experiences. In many ways this diversity is great, but as a teacher it can be a challenge to reach all my students when they are at such different levels academically and come from such different backgrounds. My goal is to make sure that all students, regardless of where they are when I first meet them, have all the tools they need to be successful and meet their potential.

All students deserve a challenging, yet accessible, education that pushes them to be the very best that they can be.

The tools and strategies we use ensure that all students can access the curriculum, learn the content, and meet their goals.

My Project

I'm requesting materials, including locking boxes and a variety of padlocks, to create our own breakout boxes. Breakout EDU is an amazing program that engages students in solving challenging puzzles to open locked boxes. They have to work together to find clues and put together the information they are given to come up with the combinations to different types of locks. To be completely honest, I'm a little worried about trying this with my students. For some, I think it is going to be something they find very frustrating because it is unlike anything they've ever been asked to do in school before. However, I'm also very excited about introducing breakout boxes to my students. I think the challenge of it can teach them so much.

They'll develop grit, learning to stick with problems rather than giving up.

This is an extremely important life skill. They will also be able to practice their collaboration skills in a different way than they usually do with school tasks, working together to solve the puzzles to come up with the combinations to the locks. They will learn about how each person in our class approaches problems and communicates through tough times with others. This is extremely important in my classroom because it is very diverse and includes many students with special needs.

Rather than the traditional reading and math tasks, these puzzles will require students to use different critical thinking and problem solving skills and creativity to open the boxes, and will allow my students to see each other in new lights. It will bring out the unique strengths in each of my students and allow them to see the value in each other. They will learn to view each other in a more positive way and see just how much they can accomplish as individuals and as teams.

Mrs. Keleher
Grades 6-8

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Findway 5 UV Ultra Violet Blacklight 9 LED Flashlight Torch Light Outdoors • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
BaouRouge 5-Digits Resettable Combination padlock 65mm (BLACK) by BaouRouge • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Master Lock 1535DWD Vertical Resettable Word Combo Lock, Assorted Colors (Pack of 1) • Amazon Business $10.40 1 $10.40
Puroma 2 Pack Combination Lock 4 Digit Padlock for School Gym Locker,Sports Locker,Fence,Toolbox,Case,Hasp Storage(Black) • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
ORIA Combination Lock, 4 Digit Combination Padlock for School, Employee, Gym & Sports Locker, Case, Toolbox, Fence, Hasp Cabinet & Storage - Silver and 2 Pack • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Vaultz Locking Utility Box with Combination Lock, Black on Black (VZ00192) • Amazon Business $9.59 1 $9.59
Stalwart 75-005 Metal Storage Lock Box, 12" • Amazon Business $9.12 1 $9.12
Wordlock PL-002-RD 5-Dial Combination Padlock,Red • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Stack-On GMR-13 13-Inch Multi-Purpose Handy Storage Box with Tote Tray, Red • Amazon Business $8.67 1 $8.67
TaoTronics UV Flashlight Blacklight, 12 Ultraviolet Led Flashlight with Free AAA Duracell Batteries, Pets Urine and Stains Detector • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Dazzling Toys Invisible Ink Pen Built in UV Light Pack of 4 Magic Marker Spy Pen • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Master Lock 1534D Password Plus Combo Lock in Black, Blue, Red, White, Colors may Vary, 1-Pack • Amazon Business $7.98 1 $7.98
Wordlock PL-004-BK 5-Dial Combination Padlock, Black • Amazon Business $7.39 1 $7.39
Wordlock PL-004-BK 5-Dial Combination Padlock, Black • Amazon Business $7.39 1 $7.39
LE Ultra Violet LED Flashlight/Blacklight, UV LED Flashlight, 9 LED 395nm, Pet Urine & Stain Detector, 3 AAA Batteries Included, Find Stains on Clothes, Carpet or Rugs • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Stanley 016013R 16" Series 2000 Tool Box with Tray • Amazon Business $6.88 1 $6.88
Stanley 016013R 16" Series 2000 Tool Box with Tray • Amazon Business $6.88 1 $6.88
Master Lock 646T Set-Your-Own Combination Luggage Lock, 11/16-inch, 2-Pack • Amazon Business $6.88 1 $6.88
Master Lock 646T Set-Your-Own Combination Luggage Lock, 11/16-inch, 2-Pack • Amazon Business $6.88 1 $6.88
Master Lock 120Q Solid Brass Body Padlock, 3/4-Inch Wide Body, 7/16-Inch Shackle Diameter, 4-Pack • Amazon Business $6.83 1 $6.83
Brinks 165-50054 40mm Zinc Resettable Sports Padlock • Amazon Business $6.44 1 $6.44
Brinks 165-50054 40mm Zinc Resettable Sports Padlock • Amazon Business $6.44 1 $6.44
Master Lock Lockout Hasp with Vinyl Coated Handle and Locking Tabs, 1" Inside Jaw Diameter • Amazon Business $5.83 1 $5.83
Set of 3 Invisible UV Blacklight Ink Marker Blue Red Yellow • Amazon Business $5.74 1 $5.74
Set of 3 Invisible UV Blacklight Ink Marker Blue Red Yellow • Amazon Business $5.74 1 $5.74
Square Glass Mirror 3" 5/Pkg- • Amazon Business $5.44 1 $5.44
Master Lock 140D Solid Brass Keyed Different Padlock with 1-9/16-Inch Wide Body, 1/4-Inch Shackle • Amazon Business $5.32 1 $5.32
Master Lock 140D Solid Brass Keyed Different Padlock with 1-9/16-Inch Wide Body, 1/4-Inch Shackle • Amazon Business $5.32 1 $5.32
Master Lock 420 Lockout Hasp with Vinyl Coated Handle, 1" Inside Jaw Diameter • Amazon Business $3.90 1 $3.90
Master Lock 420 Lockout Hasp with Vinyl Coated Handle, 1" Inside Jaw Diameter • Amazon Business $3.90 1 $3.90

Materials cost

$223.88

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.36

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$257.24

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$45.40

Total project goal

$302.64

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $302.64

49 Donors

-$151.22

Donations toward project cost

-$130.41

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$20.81

match offer

-$151.22

Match offer toward project cost

-$128.54

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$22.68

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$2.20

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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 Mrs. Keleher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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