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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Lancaster from Onamia, MN is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Lancaster is requesting

Colorful Classrooms: Understanding and Reflecting Diversity

Help me give my students literature in their classroom that reflects the beautiful diversity of the world we live in. Each classroom Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade would receive at least 5 books that reflects diversity.

FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Lancaster's classroom raised $950

This project is fully funded

My Students

We are a small, rural school located in a town that borders an American Indian Reservation. With the small town and reservation there is a strong sense of family and community in our school as many students are related to one another as siblings, cousins, etc. This translates through to the high school, which is connected to our K-6 building and houses roughly 250 students grades 7-12.

Many students have basic life needs such as food or mental health issues that must be met before they can focus on their education.

We are about 66% free breakfast and lunch which reflects many of the struggles my students and their families face at home. They work hard despite all of this, and I strive to support them in any way I can. For many of my students, this building and our classroom is their safe space. They know everyday what they can expect, that they can get what they need, and hopefully have some fun and learn meaningful life lessons along the way.

My Project

My students should be able to see themselves in the lessons they learn, and in the stories they hear and read. Being the only teacher of color in my building makes this a very personal issue for me. Growing up I was very aware of the lack of diversity reflected in the stories I looked forward to reading every day. The desire to provide this opportunity to my students is powerful, and to not only give my students the ability to see themselves in books but to understand what it means to be diverse and to empathize with others who are different.

The books we read should be every bit as colorful and diverse as the students who read them.

The lack of quality literature that reflects the beautiful diversity of our students can be very disheartening, and with your help we can take another step forward in my school building to change that. The month of May celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and I would like to bring literature that reflects the history and culture of the Pan-Asian community.

Many of the stories highlight the social hurdles that many minorities encounter. For example, The Name Jar highlights the fear and awkwardness that many students feel when their name is pronounced incorrectly. Cora Cooks Pancit details the family connection that is developed through cultural traditions such as making special foods. Having exposure to these books will help support conversations and ideas that help students relate to each other emotionally and develop social understandings in relation to people of color. Students can view the world through another perspective and hopefully relate to the stories by understanding that everyone is beautifully different.

Mrs. Lancaster Onamia Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Onamia, MN View local requests

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

250 students impacted 5donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Lancaster is requesting.

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Cora Cooks Pancit • Amazon Business $10.95 7 $76.65
King for a Day • Amazon Business $10.64 7 $74.48
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding • Amazon Business $11.29 6 $67.74
Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes • Amazon Business $7.99 7 $55.93
Bee-Bim Bop! • Amazon Business $7.99 7 $55.93
Hush! Thai Lullaby • Amazon Business $6.99 7 $48.93
I Live in Tokyo • Amazon Business $6.95 7 $48.65
Lin Yi's Lantern • Amazon Business $7.99 6 $47.94
The Name Jar • Amazon Business $7.99 6 $47.94
Dear Juno (Picture Puffin Books) • Amazon Business $6.99 6 $41.94
Blackbird Fly • Amazon Business $7.99 4 $31.96
The Year of the Dog (A Pacy Lin Novel, 1) • Amazon Business $7.99 4 $31.96
Dumpling Days (A Pacy Lin Novel, 3) • Amazon Business $7.99 4 $31.96
Project Mulberry • Amazon Business $7.89 4 $31.56
The Year of the Rat (A Pacy Lin Novel, 2) • Amazon Business $7.19 4 $28.76
Listen, Slowly • Amazon Business $4.59 4 $18.36
A Path of Stars (Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. Children's and Young Adult. Honorable Mention (Awards)) • Amazon Business $17.11 1 $17.11

Materials cost

$757.80

Vendor shipping charges

 $7.98

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$11.37

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$807.15

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$142.44

Total project goal

$949.59

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $949.59

4 Donors

-$838.95

Donations toward project cost

-$807.15

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$31.80

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$110.64

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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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 Mrs. Lancaster and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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