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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Nickoloff from Rochester, NY is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Nickoloff is requesting

Literature That Looks Like Me

Help me give my students quality literature highlighting black kids in everyday life.

FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Nickoloff's classroom raised $388

This project is fully funded

My Students

I work at an urban school in the city of Rochester. Our city is one of the most segregated in the nation, and not surprisingly, we have one of the highest rates of child poverty. Children are amazing though and often thrive against the odds in our expeditionary learning environment.

As the Black Lives Matter movement has rightfully stepped in the spotlight of our nation, we teachers realized that we needed more literature that reflects our students.

Buying books at secondhand stores has not led to developing enough of a racially diverse library.

During distance learning, I played a book online that had a main character with beautifully braided hair and a muscle tank top on. At the end of the book, I asked my students for their reactions and reflections. Child after child commented that they liked the art, the character, her braids, her clothes. They saw themselves in a book and they loved it. Help me fill my classroom with books my students will love to read. We share everything as a grade level and many children will benefit from these books!

My Project

At a grade level where we are introducing reading and trying to help our children fall in love with books, the overrepresentation of white characters in our classroom library sends the wrong message to our mostly black student population.

We want them to see themselves in their books, to see their families, friends, their joys and their struggles in the pages they hold.

While our library does have books with historically significant black people, there aren't many that feature children, living regular lives like we are. Please help our kids fall into love with reading by removing the cultural commute.

Mrs. Nickoloff World of Inquiry School 58 Grades PreK-2

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

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.

Rochester, NY View local requests

Nearly all 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

50 students impacted 9donors

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You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Nickoloff is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
The Magical Yet • Amazon Business $16.19 1 $16.19
Sulwe • Amazon Business $15.99 1 $15.99
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment • Amazon Business $15.99 1 $15.99
Thank You, Omu! • Amazon Business $15.00 1 $15.00
Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO • Amazon Business $14.79 1 $14.79
Brown Sugar Babe • Amazon Business $14.42 1 $14.42
Layla's Happiness • Amazon Business $14.18 1 $14.18
Saturday • Amazon Business $13.73 1 $13.73
Kitchen Dance • Amazon Business $13.43 1 $13.43
I Am Enough • Amazon Business $13.28 1 $13.28
Rita and Ralph's Rotten Day • Amazon Business $12.79 1 $12.79
Listening with My Heart: A story of kindness and self-compassion • Amazon Business $11.66 1 $11.66
The Day You Begin • Amazon Business $11.53 1 $11.53
Jabari Jumps • Amazon Business $11.07 1 $11.07
Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree • Amazon Business $10.39 1 $10.39
ABC I Love Me • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Hair Like Mine (Kids Like Mine) • Amazon Business $9.86 1 $9.86
Skin Like Mine (Kids Like Mine) • Amazon Business $8.95 1 $8.95
Chocolate Me! • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
EllRay Jakes Stands Tall • Amazon Business $3.29 2 $6.58
EllRay Jakes the Recess King! • Amazon Business $3.29 2 $6.58
EllRay Jakes Is Magic • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Ellray Jakes the Dragon Slayer • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Ellray Jakes Walks the Plank (EllRay Jakes, Book 3) • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
EllRay Jakes Rocks the Holidays! • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99

Materials cost

$295.33

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$4.43

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$329.76

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$58.19

Total project goal

$387.95

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $387.95

8 Donors

-$328.78

Donations toward project cost

-$287.26

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$41.52

match offer

-$50.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$42.50

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$7.50

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$9.17

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 Mrs. Nickoloff and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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