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
At our bustling school, our students work hard everyday to improve their lives through education. We encourage students to pursue their schooling with college in mind, by instilling strong work habits and encouraging their individual interests. Every student participates in our Humanities program, and attends six humanities courses a week—art, music, P.E., library, computer, and Spanish. In these courses, our students have a chance to express themselves and learn about the multitude of opportunities available in life for their individual talents.
A large majority of our students live in public housing where families struggle against the cycle of poverty.
Despite the challenges that our students face, they arrive at school each day eager to learn and excited about life. Our Humanities program supports these students through programs, displays, and special events to help them grow into the talented young citizens that they are.
My Project
Students at our school face struggles in their young lives that many adults can only imagine. The stories of my students include cycles of poverty, violence, substance abuse, and imprisonment—challenges that our students are only beginning to fight against, but are also ingrained in their daily lives. With these systemic disadvantages, it might seem impossible for students to overcome and thrive, but we are using art making to take control of our own stories.
My students will use these technology resources to tell the stories of their realities, and (re)write the stories of their futures.
They might be facing challenges much larger than themselves, but my students are eager and ready to design their own solutions to make their lives better.
With a digital projector, we will be able to explore the possibilities of storytelling through viewing the work of contemporary digital artists, and share the beautiful life stories of my students through digital media during school-wide and community events. A document camera would allow us to capture 3-D and 2-D stop motion animation, and view demonstrations of art-making techniques not possible without digital technology.
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. O'Dell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
