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This teacher needs your help!

Teacher DiColandrea from Brooklyn, NY is requesting a class trip through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Student-led project

Hotel for Speech & Debate Team to Attend National Tournament

We need hotel rooms to stay in during the Pennsbury Speech & Debate Tournament.

FULLY FUNDED! Teacher DiColandrea's classroom raised $1,046

This project is fully funded

About My Students

I teach at a public charter school in Crown Heights that serves 400 phenomenal Black and/or Latino students, 75% of whom qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch.

One of my amazing students Esther is the Captain of Extemporaneous Speaking. Two years ago, she was my first student in seven years of teaching to try Extemp, one of the hardest categories in Speech. In Extemp, students are given a question on current events and they have 30 minutes to prepare their answer before they stand in front of a judge and deliver a seven-minute speech without notes. Through her hard work, Esther has become one of the top extempers in the state and has done well at national tournaments (qualified for NCFL Nationals and the Tournament of Champions her junior year.) In addition, she is currently leading about 15 Extemp novices in after-school practice and also in our elective class that meets every day.

Our team has grown exponentially since last year (from 15 kids to over 50) and I am always on the lookout for new opportunities for them. This particular tournament is a national circuit opportunity that, in Speech & Debate lingo, offers a "bid" for the Tournament of Champions, meaning that if they do well, they could qualify for the elite Tournament of Champions later in the spring. Competing at national circuit tournaments like this is immensely valuable in terms of building up self-esteem and confidence, particularly as students of color in the predominantly white space of national circuit Speech & Debate.

In Their Own Words

This tournament is important to me because no one from our school has ever competed there before, and I want our team to have the opportunity to do so this year. I want to show the novices that it's possible for someone from our school to advance to elimination rounds, even at a national circuit tournament.

At most overnight tournaments, I will have other friends with me in the Extemp Prep Room, but at Pennsbury, I would probably be one of the only Extempers I know in the prep room. I want to show my novices that I am unafraid to compete at the national circuit level on my own and in doing so, I want to make it easier for them to follow my footsteps next year.

This project is important to me because no one from our school has ever competed at Pennsbury and it would mean a lot for our team to rank among some of the top teams in the entire country. Our school would get recognition as a strong program on the national circuit.

Teacher DiColandrea Achievement First Brooklyn High School Grades 9-12

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.

Brooklyn, NY View local requests

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

20 students impacted 12donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Component Company Total
Lodging Sheraton Bucks County Hotel $846.00

Trip cost

$846.00

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$12.69

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$888.69

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$156.83

Total project goal

$1,045.52

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $1,045.52

8 Donors

-$992.58

Donations toward project cost

-$888.69

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$103.89

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$52.94

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 Teacher DiColandrea and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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