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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Hitch from Philadelphia, PA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Hitch is requesting

Fill Every Shelf!

Help me give my students access to more books in our school library, including novels in Spanish, and senior requested books for their research!

FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Hitch's classroom raised $298

This project is fully funded

My Students

Our school is in the northwest section of Philadelphia. This is only the sixth year the school has existed and we are in the "Innovative Network", which means that we challenge the traditional model of education and try innovative new approaches to best teach and prepare our students to become critical thinkers who are passionate, curious, and lifelong learners. The school uses project-based learning and the creation of this space is certainly in keeping with that. We are a public school, but draw students from all over the city.

Three years ago, groups of my students were desperately craving books to read and I tried my best to continue to meet demand and interest with new options throughout the year.

They would come during lunch to see what new box of books I had and stay after school to look through and request more. Our school, like almost all in our district, does not have a functioning library. Instead, English teachers are expected to have "classroom libraries" to fill that void.

Many of our students also don't have the resources at home, so it makes the potential of this library that much more meaningful and worthwhile.

My Project

As a high school English teacher in Philadelphia, I have been building up my classroom library my entire career.

In 1991, our district had 176 paid librarians, today that number has dwindled down to a mere seven.

There are more than 200 schools in our school district.

When I started at our school, some of my students were such avid readers that I had a hard time keeping up with their requests! This inspired me to get approval for a dedicated space in our school to turn into a library. The library is maintained and run by students, so the emphasis is on empowerment and engagement.

While we don't have the expertise that a librarian would, we are trying our best to fill the void for something that every school, and every student, should have access to.

This year, some of my former creative writing students have asked to work as interns for the library. In our discussions and preparation, we have also considered how to make this a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone. We have worked hard to procure books for early readers and will have a dedicated space where students can have a book to take home if they pledge to read it to the young readers in their life. Additionally, we have researched to find books that are in Spanish and are adding material that can teach students to use sign language and Braille.

We officially opened our library this year and are excited to build off of that momentum to continue to create a meaningful space! This request of books includes more books in Spanish and student and staff requests!

Mr. Hitch Building 21 Philadelphia High School Grades 9-12

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

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.

Philadelphia, PA 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

150 students impacted 3donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Hitch 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
The Hate U Give Movie Tie-in Edition • Amazon Business $9.99 2 $19.98
The Anthology of Rap • Amazon Business $18.15 1 $18.15
La luz que no puedes ver/All the Light We Cannot See (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $14.74 1 $14.74
Signing Illustrated: The Complete Learning Guide • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius • Amazon Business $12.49 1 $12.49
Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America • Amazon Business $12.00 1 $12.00
She Wore Red Trainers: A Muslim Love Story • Amazon Business $11.95 1 $11.95
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession • Amazon Business $11.89 1 $11.89
V for Vendetta • Amazon Business $11.59 1 $11.59
El odio que das (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $11.59 1 $11.59
Short Stories in Spanish: New Penguin Parallel Text (Spanish and English Edition) • Amazon Business $11.27 1 $11.27
Theme and Variations: Musical Notes by a Neurologist • Amazon Business $9.95 1 $9.95
The Boy in the Black Suit • Amazon Business $9.52 1 $9.52
SLAY • Amazon Business $9.49 1 $9.49
The Psychology of Music: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) • Amazon Business $9.45 1 $9.45
Matar a un ruisexf1or (To Kill a Mockingbird - Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $9.40 1 $9.40
La ladrona de libros / The Book Thief (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $9.19 1 $9.19
Yo no soy tu perfecta hija mexicana (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $7.69 1 $7.69
3920 pcs 3/4'' Round Color Coding Labels Circle Dot Stickers,14 Bright Neon Colors,Print or Write • Amazon Business $6.49 1 $6.49

Materials cost

$219.82

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.30

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$253.12

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$44.67

Total project goal

$297.79

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $297.79

3 Donors

-$293.38

Donations toward project cost

-$253.12

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$40.26

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$4.41

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 Mr. Hitch and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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