My students need, as learners of fine arts, a digital recorder to record their musical compositions in order to create citywide connections through the arts.
I want to be able to connect my students with other students within Chicago Public Schools through the arts so they will find that there are more commonalities than differences among us.
My school is a wonderful cross-section of the world, as my students come from a myriad of countries: Mexico, Somalia, Nigeria, Bosnia, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, El Salvador, India, Iraq, and so many more.
I am lucky to work with a diverse group of students who teach me something new every day. Hayt is located in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, which has a wealth of diversity, but a lack of resources and funding. More than 95% of my students receive reduced or free lunch and many come from broken backgrounds.
These kids are full of strength and resilience and are thrilled to be part of a class that allows their expression and voice to be heard, understood, and transmitted through the lens of artistic expression to others.
My Project
Inspired by a website whose mission is to bring people from different countries and cultures together to create music and positive messages, I want to create a version of Playing for Change in Chicago. I plan to collaborate with other arts and music teachers to record the productions of middle school students singing a collective song to ultimately produce a video that emphasizes the connections among one another, not just as a community or city, but as a people, as humankind. Therefore, I am requesting a portable digital recorder to capture the voices of these students to be shared with one another.
The impact of Playing for Change has improved the world.
I hope to create a fraction of this change within my community and my city in order to forge lasting relationships and connections.
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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. Pineda and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.