My students need a digital camera, tripod & mics to create & edit media projects. These savvy 8th graders have relied on family equipment & deserve equipment at school.
Do you remember assignments so compelling that you eagerly worked on them at school AND at home? We aim for these kind of assignments, and our middle school students rise to the challenge, particularly with technology. But we need quality tools so they aren't solely dependent on family resources.
We're an alternate K-8 school in an urban area, and our 150 middle school students are a diverse, bright, and active group.
Accustomed to expeditionary learning curricula, they learn through extensive projects that include hands on work, field trips and urban hikes to museums and monuments. Technology is important in their lives, and they bring that experience to their assignments. Sadly, the minimal technology available is stretched thin.
A state grant helped us purchase 8 laptops for the library, and a flame was kindled: What else could be possible? A group of 7th graders capitalized on a writing assignment to create a movie script, School Lunch Me, then brought in cameras and mics from home to shoot it. Inspired, we invited them to make a brief film for the school auction and it raised enough for a class set of iPad minis.
Now we're hopeful you will partner with us to add a few more resources to the mix. We can't rely on family equipment to continue this great work!
My Project
We want to give middle school students the opportunity to create a video project, start to finish, with the necessary gear to do it. This grant will allow us to purchase a camcorder to shoot the video, along with gear (tripod and camera grip) to achieve optimal footage. The microphone and headset will be used for post production (overlaying audio tracks, editing), and we'll use a MacBook Pro from our library to support the rest of the work.
Our 8th grade students who are experienced with filmmaking will manage the equipment and mentor their classmates in its use. We're dedicating a corner of the library office for the editing station, and they're imagining that they can help produce 3-5 films this school year.
Students will learn how to show their academic ideas through visual media, they'll learn how to operate new equipment, and they'll learn a simple filmmaking process from start to finish. The 8th grade mentors also
This project proposal builds from the experience and energy of middle school students.
We'd love your partnership in harnessing several students' filmmaking talents, providing equipment to support them, and allowing their skills to spread among their peers. The cost of our proposed grant is minimal compared to the talents it will tap into and build. We can't wait to begin and we need your help!
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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. Egawa and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.