My students need 7 cameras and appropriate accessories: batteries, 1GB memory cards, and cases for each camera.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Ray's classroom raised $1,091
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
I am a first year teacher and I want nothing more than to excite and teach my fifth graders about the pleasures of photography that I take for granted, pleasures that they can only wish to experience.
I teach fifth grade students in a low-income neighborhood in New York.
My students are all immigrants or first-generation Americans. Daily, they struggle to meet the demands of their trying childhoods. Their parents toil in low-paying jobs and can not afford to spend much on their kids. So many of my students live with a large extended family in their house. Many of them share their beds with a sibling. In some heartbreaking cases, the entire family sleeps in the same bed.
Some of my children go home not to start their homework, but to start caring for their younger siblings. They cook dinner and do the family's laundry. These children are only 10, yet they are assuming the responsibilities of adults.
Still, they manage to come to school every day with smiles on their faces and a hunger for learning in their bellies. They work extra hard to overcome the difficulties of their situations, which are ones I can not even fathom.
Life is such a struggle for them. At home, they fight poverty, and in school they tell me how sad it makes them that Mommy can't buy them new clothes or shoes. Sadly, some of them are desensitized to the fact that they are sharing beds with their families out of necessity.
I hope my classroom represents a safe haven for them. That is my goal. All around my classroom, I have some of my favorite personal photographs displayed for student consideration. I used my love for photography to introduce myself to my class on day one, and since then my pictures have stimulated some vibrant class discussions in a variety of content areas.
My kids get very excited over my photography. Imagine how excited they would get over their own.
In January, I am planning to begin a project with my class that uses photography to help them celebrate their diverse heritages. The cameras and accessories you provide will enable my students to document the beautiful aspects of their family and culture in photographs. This will benefit my students because they will gain hands-on experience in one of my favorite hobbies, and they will get a chance to try something they really never have.
My whole class will celebrate our heritages and our new knowledge. We will all learn together and a great sense of community will be fostered.
Without your help, this wonderful project will never take flight. Even though my students experience daily struggles that are inconceivable to me, they are still fine, respectful, studious children.
I guarantee they will be overcome with intense excitement should we be able to work on this family heritage project together. Please extend us any assistance you can and help me provide a beautiful memory for my students. They deserve it.
I thank you so much for your consideration.
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
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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. Ray and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
