My students need a plant stand and light fixture to start growing seedlings indoors in order to observe their growth up close in a safe environment before planting them outside.
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 Students
Have you ever felt excited about something you can see happening around you, but been unable to take part in a meaningful way? Our little green thumbs need some extra support in order to be an integral part of our school gardens.
The students in my classroom are between the ages of 3 and 5 years old and each one has some identified developmental delay.
In addition to struggling with the typical early childhood challenges, such as accepting the need to share and learning the ABCs, they come to school everyday with individual challenges that the majority of us take for granted.
Difficulties with speaking, understanding language, regulating emotion and behavior, and day to day basics such as eating, toilet training, and mobility can become blockades to full participation in all our public school has to offer. But don't try to tell them they aren't capable of doing something! These kids are confident and always able to make the most of what you put in front of them!
My Project
Our school has had an active garden for two years now. We have been struggling with the challenges of growing things in the spring in order for us to be able to harvest them before the end of the school year. So far, we have had to raise money to buy seedlings or hope for donations from friendly neighborhood gardens for the plants we cannot directly seed outdoors because of our relatively late frost date.
We need a plant table and grow lights for the next step in bringing the garden into our classroom and curriculum. It will become an integral part of our daily routine, allowing our small fingers and short statures to be a part of the birth of our garden's bounty! From getting to push a tiny seed into dark rich soil, to watching it grow and develop until it is ready to move on to its next home, will mirror the growth and development happening in our classroom.
As one of the founding teachers of our "Green Team," I have had a first hand look at how important and exciting getting your hands dirty can be for a child.
Living in an urban area where fast food is readily available and the cheapest food is often the least healthy and fresh, a school garden becomes even more important. I have seen a child decide they like radishes after growing them from seed, now let's get them eating broccoli and cabbage!
More than half 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
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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. Helgerson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
