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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Rakowski from Warren, MI is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Rakowski is requesting

Mirrors and Windows...Books Help Us See Ourselves and Others.

Help me give my students access to diverse books so they can see characters that look like them.

FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Rakowski's classroom raised $707

This project is fully funded

My Students

My students are energetic, creative and eager to learn. I teach a kindergarten classroom that is composed of students that come from low income families. Many of my students have experienced some form of trauma in their short lifetime. They come to school needing so many things! The best way to help my students is to create a classroom that is warm and inviting and helps them feel safe. When they feel safe they are able to reach their fullest potential.

My Project

I am looking to diversify my book collection that my students use in my classroom so that they are able to see characters that look like them depicted in the stories we are reading. It is important for students to know that their lives matter. After looking at my classroom library I discovered that a large majority of my books have animals as the main characters. While this is cute it is not realistic.

Students need to see characters that look like them dealing with realistic situations similar to what they might have experienced.

When students see characters that look like them in books it makes them feel valued and important. The books that I have selected have mainly Black characters, as this is largely my student demographic in my classroom. Additionally there are some books from other cultures and family structures.

Mrs. Rakowski Lincoln Elementary School 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.

Warren, MI 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

26 students impacted 2donors

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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. Rakowski is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
Grandma's Purse • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
I Believe I Can • Amazon Business $17.09 1 $17.09
Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration • Amazon Business $16.95 1 $16.95
Black Is a Rainbow Color • Amazon Business $16.19 1 $16.19
Sulwe • Amazon Business $15.99 1 $15.99
You Matter • Amazon Business $15.89 1 $15.89
A Boy Like You • Amazon Business $15.29 1 $15.29
When's My Birthday? • Amazon Business $15.29 1 $15.29
Where Are You From? • Amazon Business $15.09 1 $15.09
Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO • Amazon Business $14.79 1 $14.79
Layla's Happiness • Amazon Business $14.41 1 $14.41
Cool Cuts • Amazon Business $14.38 1 $14.38
Annie's Plaid Shirt • Amazon Business $14.08 1 $14.08
Kitchen Dance • Amazon Business $13.43 1 $13.43
Bowwow Powwow (ALA Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards)) • Amazon Business $13.19 1 $13.19
Donovan's Big Day • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Alma and How She Got Her Name • Amazon Business $12.86 1 $12.86
Just Like Me • Amazon Business $12.79 1 $12.79
Malala's Magic Pencil • Amazon Business $12.77 1 $12.77
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story • Amazon Business $12.71 1 $12.71
Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color • Amazon Business $11.79 1 $11.79
Jabari Jumps • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Julián Is a Mermaid • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Windows • Amazon Business $10.89 1 $10.89
Dress Like a Girl • Amazon Business $10.79 1 $10.79
The Old Truck • Amazon Business $10.59 1 $10.59
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (Vashti Harrison) • Amazon Business $10.26 1 $10.26
Dad, Who Will I Be? • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
My Nana and Me • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Hair Love • Amazon Business $9.96 1 $9.96
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
Max and the Tag-Along Moon • Amazon Business $8.71 1 $8.71
Emi's Curly Coily, Cotton Candy Hair • Amazon Business $8.54 1 $8.54
Jabari Jumps • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
The Name Jar • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Shades of People • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
And Tango Makes Three (Classic Board Books) • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
The Colors of Us • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Cece Loves Science • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
All Kinds of People • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Bippity Bop Barbershop • Amazon Business $7.64 1 $7.64
Those Shoes • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Bigmama's • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Fly Away Home • Amazon Business $6.49 1 $6.49
The Wall (Reading Rainbow Books) • Amazon Business $6.39 1 $6.39
Happy in Our Skin • Amazon Business $6.19 1 $6.19
Daddy Calls Me Man (Richard Jackson Books (Orchard)) • Amazon Business $4.69 1 $4.69

Materials cost

$561.76

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$8.43

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$600.19

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$105.92

Total project goal

$706.11

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$706.11

1 Donor

-$353.06

Donations toward project cost

-$300.10

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$52.96

match offer

-$353.05

Match offer toward project cost

-$300.09

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$52.96

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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