District 75 serves the highest needs special needs students and, oftentimes, these students also fall into the highest needs economically disadvantaged category. Over 90% of my students fall into this category. We are a 12-month program, where students attend year-round to receive services.
My students are part of the largest school district in the country -- the NYC DOE -- and they fall into the highest needs category.
For years, I have poured my own money into my classroom, but it is not enough! I have reached out to local community members and collected used and refurbished computers, but they do not meet the requirements to run modern software.
I teach grades K-8 and a total of nine classes, a daily lunch club, and a weekly positive behavior intervention club as a reward for students. All students would have access to these resources! That is why today, I am reaching out for global support to help our highest-needs students get an equal chance to succeed! We truly need your assistance to level the playing field. Many students come from homes that do not have Internet access or technology, further increasing the achievement gap.
My Project
When students learn about math and science, it's hard to imagine the practical aspects applying to them. When they enter my room and see all the cool things, I'm 3D-printing, there is immediate interest. My plan has always been to segue them into realizing math is the language of money.
I would like to create a business club focusing on 3D printing, sales, budgeting, and investments.
I would like to purchase a few inexpensive 3D-printers and a supply of filament (plastic) that will be dedicated for our 3D-printing business club and portion off a section of my room specific for this club. I would also like to establish a separate school bank account so I can take students locally to make deposits and learn how banking transactions work.
We would begin with an inventory of filament (3D-printing plastic). If one roll of filament is 1kg (1000 grams) and costs $20, then each gram equals 2 cents. If we create a keychain that is 10 grams, it costs 20 cents. We will take requests for 3D-printed items. If an adult wants a keychain and it costs 20 cents to produce, we sell it for $2. The profit is $1.80. Students will take requests, create the items, sell them and monitor our inventory and profit.
They will then decide how we spend the money we make. Do we buy a pizza party each month from their profits? Do we reinvest in more filament? Do we save up for an upgraded 3D-printer? As we do this, students will learn about operating a business, expenses, budgeting and how to take ownership of their lives through mastering financial literacy.
I believe this club will create a lasting impact and teach students the fundamentals of financial literacy and running a business in a practical, engaging way.
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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. Kamer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
