Everyday I get the opportunity to connect with 40 of the most special students I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I teach 5th grade in a small Title 1 school on a reservation in northern Idaho. The overwhelming majority of our students live at or below the Federal poverty level, have multiple ACEs, come steeped in trauma, and 40% of my students have IEPs.
Despite the trauma, despite the hardships, and despite the unique challenges they face, the one thing that guarantees excitement and engagement is STEM.
There is an amazing transformation in the classroom as they become the scientists, mathematicians, and engineers of the future. Their curiosity, ingenuity, and fearless attitudes when presented with a STEM challenge always brings a smile to my heart!
My Project
The majority of my students have spent their school careers playing catch up, filling holes in their reading, vocabulary, and writing. Most of them reached fifth grade never having experienced much, if any, science in the classroom. They have never had the time or opportunity to experience all that science and engineering have to offer.
By donating to the project and supplying them with lab coats, you could help my students see that a future in STEM is a real possibility for them.
As lot of my students view the world through a very bleak lens, they have never believed in the likelihood of their own socioeconomic advancement. STEM offers them more than just a challenging future, it offers them a chance to see their potential! They may just be lab coats to most of us, but to my students, they symbolize a dream they never knew could be theirs.
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 Mr. Morgan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
