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
What makes my students special is that they are viewed by many as anything but. I work at an alternative school, or what is known as a "second-chance" school, in the West Garfield Park community of Chicago. Many end up at our school due to involvement in gang activity, incarceration, negative/disruptive behavior, teen pregnancy, and/or chronic truancy.
What my students' need most is to know that people believe in them, care for them, and care about their future no matter their past.
They come from neighborhoods littered with Chicago's most serious issues - violence, gang banging, drugs, poverty, health disparities, etc.
Many fall prey to the ways of those around them, as the people they can look up to are few and far between. Their presence at our school is proof, therefore, of their determination to prove their worth.
Though most play the adult outside of school, at their core they are just kids in need of love and support. Please help me show them just how much love and support they deserve!
My Project
100% of my students are on the free lunch program, which means they often start their day on an empty stomach waiting for lunch time. Furthermore, when they have eaten something, the "food" they can afford is full of chemicals. This junk does not sustain them and irritates their stomach. My students are starving, and understandably, their hunger cuts into their classroom engagement.
Healthy snacks would improve attention and engagement in my student's classwork, and fill their empty stomachs with lasting energy.
Their hunger exacerbates the social and emotional issues they already struggle with, which then further inhibits their classroom performance. By providing snacks for my students, I can help alleviate one burden from a list already too heavy for even most adults to handle.
Every snack will go towards a student, and serve as a reminder of just how many people love and care for them. Consumption of these snacks will then aid students in their focus, engagement, and ultimate classroom success, growing a seemingly fleeting gesture into a life-changing one.
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. Hersch and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
