Help me give my students "Third and Indiana" by Steve Lopez, a story told by a 15-year-old boy about the everyday challenges of living in the badlands.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. McCarty's classroom raised $752
This project is fully funded
My Students
The students that will benefit from your donations are intelligent and diverse young adults. Each of them has worked incredibly hard to be a part of the academic elite of Philadelphia, despite facing many limitations in resources and supplies. While our students come from many different neighborhoods, the majority of them have spent their entire lives living in an urban environment below the poverty line. It is important for them to read books about kids like them facing challenges that they face. These students thrive in classrooms that engage them with diverse texts and challenge them to think beyond the literature canon.
Books like this make them feel "seen" by the world and allow them to truly invest in literature.
Exploring relatable, real-time conflicts in books better prepares them for the challenges they face in their own coming-of-age story and allows us to discuss difficult topics in a safe, comfortable environment.
My Project
"Third and Indiana" by Steve Lopez is based in the badlands of Kensington, Philadelphia where many of our students have lived or currently live. The story is told by a 15-year-old boy named Gabriel, his mother, and a stranger that eventually takes on the role of Gabriel's father figure.
This book captivates even my most reading-resistant students because the protagonist is a kid from Philly, desperately trying to break the chain of poverty, just like them.
He's a good kid with a good heart who makes a series of bad choices with the best intentions. Instead of asking for help, he continuously tries to fix it himself, but this only ever leads to more problems. Reading this book not only encourages my students to think about the impact of their daily choices but also how it affects those around them.
Nearly all 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
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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. McCarty and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
