The cost of a GE Counter-High Compact Refrigerator (4.3 Cubic Feet) from Quill Corporation is $330, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
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.
I am a Biology teacher at the School of Entrepreneurship (tSOE), on the south side of Chicago. Five years ago, South Shore High School was a large 2,000 plus neighborhood school. Today the campus is comprised of four small schools, each with its own focus, staff and student body. One of the fallbacks we have encountered in our restructuring process is funding.
When our school started out four years ago, we were given a large grant through the Gates Foundation as some funding from school district (CPS). However, the money we were promised from CPS was limited and we still have not received the financial means to purchase many of the materials that would make our classes and students more successful. Instead of waiting for the money promised to our school, I have decided to pursue other avenues.
The science department at tSOE is composed of four very hard working, creative and project-based educators. We have three classrooms, only one of which even resembles an actual science lab, with no office space or prep area for activities.
As a department, one of the pieces of equipment we have been asking for is a refrigerator. Many of the labs and activities that we would like to do require certain materials to be kept cold or frozen before and during use. Dissection of organisms and tissues is a great example. More specifically, one of the Biology programs we work with includes student dissection of cow hearts. Financially, this is an activity that is feasible because cow hearts are easily obtained from a butcher. However, it takes more than one class period to complete the dissection. Without a refrigerator to keep the organs from spoiling, it is not possible to complete this activity in the time allotted. If we had access to a refrigerator, it would allow our students these wonderful learning experiences! Other activities that our teachers have done in the past, like our home-made ice cream lab and many DNA labs, require refrigeration as well as many solutions we use and bacteria we may need to grow.
Again, I believe that science is best learned through an inquiry process that requires certain supplies. In order for our students to have the opportunities they SHOULD be given, the proper equipment is necessary to help us sustain the life of these materials. A refrigerator would allow us to create such opportunities!
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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. D. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.