Planting the Seeds of Possibility For Garnet-Patterson STAY Students
Help me give my students inspiration exposure to higher education to inspire their dreams and expand their understanding of what’s possible for their future.
$1,180 goal
This project expired on September 20, 2025.
This project expired on September 20, 2025.
My Project
At GP STAY Opportunity Academy, many of our students face unique challenges that can make the path to higher education seem distant or unattainable. By decorating our classrooms and hallways with vibrant college pennants, we aim to create a daily visual reminder that college is a real and achievable goal for each of them. These pennants serve as powerful symbols of possibility, helping to build a college going culture and inspiring conversations about future aspirations, college applications, and career dreams.
Our goal is to use these college pennants as a tool to make higher education feel visible, accessible, and exciting for students who may have never considered it before.
Many of our students are the first in their families to consider college, and some have struggled with traditional schooling before finding their place in our program. This project is not just about decoration—it’s about affirmation, exposure, and encouragement. By surrounding students with the names and logos of real colleges and universities, we can start building familiarity and ambition in a space that supports second chances and fresh starts.
What makes our students special is their resilience. They come from diverse backgrounds and have overcome significant obstacles, including housing instability, personal trauma, and academic setbacks. Yet they show up each day with the desire to grow, learn, and create better futures for themselves. These students are dreamers and fighters, and they deserve every opportunity to see what’s possible beyond high school. With your support, we can help make college not just a dream, but a destination they can see, believe in, and work toward.
More than a third 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
Never Before Funded800 students impacted
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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. Wilhite and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.