Checkmate! Chess Sets + Students = Meaningful Recess Time
My students need new chess sets for the Chess Club that I am implementing this school year!
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Koehler's classroom raised $213
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
As a teacher in a very dense, urban immigrant community, my students are often balancing multiple lives simultaneously—that of school, home, and the neighborhood; that of American life, alongside their family's important cultural ties to their homelands.
The longer that I have had the privilege to work in such a community, the more I see the importance and necessity of providing my students with as many opportunities as I can for hands-on, exploratory opportunities that are hard to come by in such a densely populated neighborhood.
I love being able to take them out into the world, into nature, and to explore the environment that exists beyond the boundaries of our school's surrounding blocks. In the classroom, I try to continue this exploration through providing creative outlets that they usually can't access outside of school.
My Project
Last year, I had several chess sets in my class. Quickly, I began to see that not only was it a fun and educational game, but it gave many students - including those who don't always feel "successful" with traditional academics - a way to show talent and growth. Over the months, their chess play became an integral part of our class and our community building. This year, I have decided to take it one step further and to create a lunchtime Chess Club for the 4th and 5th-grade students at my school.
Through your support, I will gain enough chess sets with which I can begin a new Chess Club at my school!
This lunch club will operate on many levels: (1) to provide a safe and fun place for the kids who need an alternative to the play yard (2) to foster new friendships between the 4th and 5th graders (3) to allow struggling students a means to feel success and pride in what they can do, and (4) to create a safe space for students to learn and foster a new skill.
I look forward to starting this project - and thank you in advance for your help in getting it off the ground!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Koehler and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
