My students need rain ponchos and umbrellas in order to walk to school safely during bad weather thus improving their attendance.
$852 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! 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.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My students come from a large underprivileged city and underfunded school system, but that does not stop them from being dedicated, determined and thirsty to learn.
I am in awe of the fact that their surroundings and varied hardships, do not dim their enthusiasm for education.
One hundred percent of my students receive free lunch. My students often struggle to verbalize or write about on paper what they think or feel, yet they are able to express feelings through music whether they are singing, playing or dancing to it. Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” I believe Einstein was not just describing himself, but each one of my students.
My Project
I asked some of my students (who were missing a day or more a week,) why they feel high school students become disengaged. One response that popped up over and over again, was the weather! The weather plays a huge factor in their decision to attend (or not attend school.) Students told me stories about how they used to walk to school, over a mile in the rain, only to get here and be miserable. They would get so soaked that the cold classrooms would give them the chills and the warm classrooms made them feel awful and smell moldy! It was a no win situation. So without an umbrella or rain poncho, they just decided they would not do it again. A bad weather day now means a day off!
This project will offer ponchos and umbrellas to students who do not have them in order to better their attendance during bad weather days.
Little by little I am hoping it will change the mindset of students who simply stay home when the weather is less than desirable. I read about a school online that received funding for transportation of students on bad weather days and their attendance grew dramatically...but that is super expensive. Umbrellas and ponchos may be a small way to address a big problem, but I am hoping it will have a big impact.
I think that providing umbrellas and ponchos for students will show that we, (the school and Donors Choose communities,) care about them and will encourage them to make a greater effort to get to school. Once here it will be easier, while dry, to focus, become engaged and thrive. Thank you for considering this project.
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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 Ms. Graham and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
