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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Jones-Cooper from Washington DC is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Jones-Cooper is requesting

Soul Searching...In Need of a Map!

My students need DNA kits for our African American History class to help scholars get an understanding of their lineage.

  • $1,920 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrate Black Teachers and Students

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.

My Students

I am a Geometry and African American History teacher at a Tier 1 Public Charter School in SE Washington, DC. On any day, the scholars see drugs, homelessness, mental illness, and violence on a typical walk from the train to the school, or even in their homes, yet in spite of their shortcomings and obstacles, they continue to push towards excellence. Watching them blossom into "Community Advocates" that encourage and uplift one another has been a blessing.

Everyone is a product of their environment, either good or bad; These scholars have chosen to be positive products of one of the toughest environments of Washington, DC.

Everyday I am in awe by their tenacity to succeed as well as their selflessness to help and encourage their fellow scholars. Knowing the challenges they faced ahead, my upperclassman took it upon themselves to become mentors to my sophomore geometry scholars. In class we use an African Proverb that states: If you want to go fast, go alone... If you want to go far, go with others. These scholars are going the distance!

My Project

On a trip to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. a scholar asked, "Why do some of the bricks have last names and some don't?" when we reached Thomas Jefferson. I explained to the scholars that the bricks with no last name meant that Thomas Jefferson was their original owner and the bricks with a last name meant the individual was owned by someone else originally. With tears in her eyes she asked if that meant that her last name came from people that once owned her family. I replied "possibly", in hopes of not upsetting her more. To see the shock and disappointment in her face was heartbreaking. I asked myself "Why don't they know this? Isn't this American History?" It made me wonder, what other valuable information are these scholars lacking when it comes to the history of people that are their ancestors? So I requested to teach African American History as an elective. Our first project will be DNA kits.

You can't know where you're going, unless you know where you came from!

The DNA kit will provide them with a starting point. By researching their DNA they will be able to identify the region in which their ancestors came from. Too often African American children feel lost or in limbo searching for an identity. These scholars shiver even at the idea of doing a family tree because they know exactly how far they may be able to trace. This course is designed to guide them on their spiritual and intellectual path to self identity, self love, self respect, and self determination and the DNA kit is their personal GPS.

With your donations, these scholars will begin their quest with a stronger sense of self. We appreciate you all.

Ms. Jones-Cooper
Grades 9-12

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Jones-Cooper is requesting.

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing • Amazon Business $59.00 25 $1,475.00
Unofficial Ancestry.com Workbook: A How-To Manual for Tracing Your Family Tree on the #1 Genealogy Website • Amazon Business $14.50 1 $14.50

Materials cost

$1,489.50

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $89.37

3rd party payment processing fee

$22.34

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$1,631.21

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$287.86

Total project goal

$1,919.07

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $1,919.07

7 Donors

-$1,418.95

Donations toward project cost

-$1,221.11

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$197.84

match offer

-$482.46

Match offer toward project cost

-$410.09

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$72.37

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$17.65

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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Project Activity

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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. Jones-Cooper and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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