My students need these classroom sets of books, which will be integrated throughout my ethnic studies class, the first of its kind at our high school.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Fowler's classroom raised $2,444
This project is fully funded
My Students
Through a series of collectively chosen and critical thinking activities my ethnic studies classroom builds on students lives as the root of their curriculum. The books will be made available to help students in their exploration of their histories and the histories of others.
My ethnic studies classroom is filled with students from various diverse backgrounds (economic status, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.) Many of them come to the classroom with past traumas from home, their community and the classroom.
This manifests in resilient students ready to engage about their experience and connect to others.
My Project
These materials will be used for auto-ethnographies, critical community exploration projects, and other reflective activities to help students build an understanding about the four core principles of the pathway Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action.
Students will have open time to utilize some of these books like the "Stay Solid: a radical guide for youth" which will be used for students to explore different themes in their lives like family, schooling, and gender. This book will be also a model for a project students will create called the community regeneration essay, where students write about how they want to change themselves and their community throughout their lives.
In addition, Zinn and Takaki will give the students a foundational knowledge of the diverse lives of Americans. Shifting the lens to people more related to them and their families.
At the end of the year students will have a greater analysis of their own struggles and find them as a source of strength to empower themselves and others.
The biggest challenge to getting my students there is finding resources that speak to their realities.
When asking my students about why they wanted to take ethnic studies many of them gave differing perspectives. This is one sample:
“ I want to be a part of the social justice pathway to be an inspiration to my family and community"
More than half of 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. Fowler and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
