Once in a Lifetime Trip to Washington D.C.! (PART 1)
My students need some help funding our first annual school trip to see the sites, wonders and magic of our nation's capital, Washington D.C.!
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Spitz's classroom raised $1,349
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My students are bright, imaginative, resilient, and inquisitive. As an arts and technology-based school, we pride ourselves on the levels of creativity and individuality embraced by our students.
Most of my students will be the first in their families to attend college and for some, to graduate high school.
Each day I see countless examples of their love for learning and genuine desire for challenge and growth. My classroom is a beautiful mix of Latino, African-American, Pacific-Islander, Asian-American and Caucasian learners inspiring me with their tenacity, courage and brilliance. They are exceptionally brave and skilled in expressing themselves and communicating an idea, a testament to the portfolio defense all students must present their senior and sophomore years at our school.
My students live in some of the most violent and impoverished neighborhoods in our state, many having to grow up far faster due to life circumstances. They so genuinely want more for themselves, their families and their communities. Although most have never had the opportunity to travel outside their neighborhoods, their hearts and minds are rich with perspective and understanding, and their world views are filled with hope, maturity and optimism.
My Project
Anyone who has been fortunate enough to travel knows what a transformative experience it can be. As a history teacher (and learner!), I am constantly searching for ways to bring our learning to life and to find meaning and relevance in lessons of the past. I strongly feel that my role as an educator is to bring out the academic and personal best in my students by creating opportunities to become empowered, informed members of both our local and global communities. I strongly believe that perspective plays an essential role in achieving such intellectual and individual growth, and it is perspective that lies at the heart of why I am passionately committed to bringing my students on a trip to Washington D.C.
A trip to our nation's capital will not only transform the ways in which my students view our country, our history, and our founding ideals, it will also help my students, often so marginalized in the telling of history, begin to see themselves as major players in the history of the past and the one they hope to create.
This all-inclusive 4 day trip includes an action-packed itinerary of all of D.C.'s heavy hitter sites, visits to multiple Smithsonian museums, including the brand new and highly acclaimed Museum of African-American History and Culture, and a learning experience that will undoubtedly be remembered for a lifetime. For many of my students, an opportunity to travel is not one that comes easily. This will be their very first time on an airplane, their very first time outside of the state, and the very first time they are learning historical content at this level of intimacy and depth. Life changing doesn't even begin to describe it!
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
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 Ms. Spitz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
