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.
My Project
My robotics students are bright, inquisitive, and love a challenge. Most of them have never built a robot or programmed a single line of computer code. Many of my students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the day I teach gifted students, but after school, I coach robotics to mixed-ability teams, including students with learning and social difficulties through the whole range of abilities up to gifted students.
Participation in our after-school robotics program changes the trajectory of our students' lives, but to keep their STEM skills at their sharpest, my students need an afternoon snack to keep them going and ensure everyone can participate fully.
Besides teaching our students coding, our robotics program also encourages students to "think like engineers" and apply science concepts to real-world problems. This coming season our theme is all about the STEAM and the intersection of science, math, and all forms of art.
When students stay after school for robotics club, they often need a snack halfway through to keep them going. As coaches, we often pay out of pocket to provide our kids with the snacks they need to get them through to dinner time.
In our rural district, most of the families work in agriculture. Over 80% of our school children are of Hispanic descent, and many of them are English Language Learners. Our robotics team reflects this diversity as well.
Our robotics program currently has 45 students involved, so we go through a lot of snacks.
More than three‑quarters 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 Mrs. Carlson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.