This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Loeb from Harbor City, CA is requesting flexible seating through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Reading Sanctuary: Comfort, Culture, and Community

Help me give my students a quiet, comfortable space where they can simply sit, breathe, and get lost in a book.

2 donors
$331 still needed thanks to a match offer

Every donation to this project is matched 2X!

Donations doubled!

2 donors
$331 still needed thanks to a match offer

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Ms. Loeb Nathaniel Narbonne High School

Harbor City, CA Grades 9-12

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 Project

As an inner-city teacher in Los Angeles, I've learned that for many of my students, home is not always a place where reading can happen easily. Crowded living conditions, shared rooms, and competing responsibilities often make it difficult to find a calm, uninterrupted moment to engage with a text. Research shows that environment plays a critical role in literacy development. In fact, studies indicate that quieter, more enclosed learning spaces significantly improve reading fluency and concentration compared to noisy, open environments. Additionally, quiet environments have been shown to enhance focus, working memory, and overall cognitive performance—key factors in successful reading and comprehension.

This is why I am working to transform a corner of my classroom into a welcoming reading sanctuary, and why I am requesting large, comfortable bean bag chairs for my classroom.

Over the past year, I have been building a classroom library filled with books written by BIPOC authors—stories where my students can finally see themselves reflected not just as characters, but as protagonists.

However, books alone are not enough. A literacy-rich environment requires intentional design—spaces that invite students to sit, stay, and read. Without a comfortable place to read, even the most powerful books can remain untouched.

These bean bags will transform our reading corner into a space that feels safe, inviting, and restorative—a place where students can decompress and connect with literature. For students navigating the stresses of poverty, having access to a calm and comfortable environment is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Studies show that literacy environments can help mediate the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on language and vocabulary development, making access to books and supportive spaces even more critical for low-income students.

Your donation will help create that refuge.

Equity Focus

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

175 students impacted 2 donors

Project tagged as

Harbor City, CA
Grades 9-12
Literacy
Literature & Writing
Traditional School
Flexible Seating
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

Ms. Loeb will only receive her materials if this project is fully funded by August 1.

Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund. Olga Graham, my mother, passed away in 2005, leaving a legacy of success for inner city youth. She was a dedicated teacher who inspired students throughout her life.

She graduated from Hunter College in New York City in 1927 and had a long career as an elementary school teacher in the Bronx, teaching primarily third and fourth graders. After she retired and moved to Los Angeles, she continued working as a volunteer tutor with the Los Angeles School District.

She absolutely refused to give up on any student, and inspired them with her philosophy that its never too late for second chances. This fund honors her memory and encourages other inspiring teachers to give their students another chance to succeed.

See all projects eligible for this match offer.

Ms. Loeb Nathaniel Narbonne High School Grades 9-12

Equity Focus

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Harbor City, CA View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

175 students impacted 2donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

HABUTWAY Bean Bag Chair 3Ft Luxurious Velvet Ultra Soft Fur with High Rebound Memory Foam Bean Bag Chairs for Adults Plush Lazy Sofa with Fluffy Sponge 3' (Black New) • Amazon Business $64.98 8 $519.84

Materials cost			$519.84
Vendor shipping charges			FREE
Sales tax			$47.57
3rd party payment processing fee			$7.80
Fulfillment labor & materials			$30.00
Total project cost			$605.21
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$106.80
Total project goal			$712.01
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$712.01
1 Donor			-$25.00
Donations toward project cost			-$21.25
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$3.75
Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund match offer			-$25.00
Match offer toward project cost			-$21.25
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$3.75
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$662.01

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

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Project Activity

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. Loeb and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Reading Sanctuary: Comfort, Culture, and Community

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

My Project

Equity Focus

Project tagged as

Equity Focus

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.