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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Kunesh from Columbus OH is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Kunesh is requesting

Mrs. K, I Need A Book!

My students need multiple copies of 10 books to create a greater vocabulary, and to ensure success in all subjects.

  • $515 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

My Students

What is it like to start with the deck stacked against you? My students are in a high-poverty district, and many do not come from homes filled with books. The paperbacks we do have are tattered and worn and inaccessible to my students with limited vocabulary and life experiences.

My students are amazing, wonderful 13 and 14-year-olds who need the chance to enjoy literature.

My school is in an urban district, and 66.4% of the students are economically disadvantaged. Last year we had 17.5% of our African American children earn the lowest rating in our state reading assessments compared with only 4.9% of our white students who scored at that same level. Moreover, only 7.3% of our African American children earned the highest honors on our state reading assessments whereas 27.4% of our white students placed in that category. Clearly we have an achievement gap between our African American students and our white students. This achievement gap, in addition to our students facing economic hardship, makes it a challenge for students to read on grade level.

My Project

These books will help students actually enjoy reading. They feature characters who look and act like them; many of the books are realistic fiction about teens in tough situations who struggle to make right choices. One of the books, The Runner, was one I read and advertised to my students earlier this year. However, with no copies of the book, I couldn't sign it out to them. The book is a phenomenal account of a teen boy raised by a single, alcoholic father. The boy feels like he has to choose between trafficking drugs or being homeless because his father loses his job due to drinking. I have read each of these books and know my students will enjoy them. I believe in the power of one book to turn a child's life around. I have seen it happen before and want to see it again. For example, if a student feels what it's like to be an African girl taken on a slave ship in Copper Sun, then that student will have a love of reading and a richer understanding of American history.

Your donations will make a huge difference.

I firmly believe that reading should not be limited to lugging around a 4-pound hardback anthology. Paperback books are tickets to more reading, to a greater vocabulary, to success in all subjects, to high school graduation, to empathy for others, to passing standardized tests, and to college.

Mrs. Kunesh
Grades 6-8

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Runner • AKJ Books $11.84 6 $71.04
Along for the Ride • AKJ Books $6.65 6 $39.90
Black and White • AKJ Books $5.17 3 $15.51
Response Paul Volponi • AKJ Books $5.17 3 $15.51
Rikers High • AKJ Books $5.91 6 $35.46
Catching Fire • AKJ Books $13.31 6 $79.86
Begging for Change • AKJ Books $5.91 6 $35.46
Who Am I Without Him? • AKJ Books $5.91 4 $23.64
Bruiser • AKJ Books $6.65 6 $39.90
Copper Sun • AKJ Books $6.65 6 $39.90

Materials cost

$396.18

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.94

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$437.12

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$77.14

Total project goal

$514.26

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $514.26

5 Donors

-$257.13

Donations toward project cost

-$218.56

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$38.57

match offer

-$257.13

Match offer toward project cost

-$218.56

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$38.57

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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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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. Kunesh and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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