Help me give my students an experience of a lifetime by providing the primary camping equipment (tents, bags, and mess hall canopy) we need for countless leaving to learn trips.
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
My students are primarily intercity "alternative" or "transitional" students. This means that most of them come to us because they have been expelled from their home school or just got out of a facility and must come to us before going to their "traditional" school. Most are underperforming and have given up on themselves as many teachers in the past have as well.
That being said, most of my students don't believe they are capable of learning or being successful and cannot imagine a life outside of the streets.
My Project
I recently took 9 of my top performing young men on an overnight camping trip, as a focus group, and we got excellent feedback from it. Using what equipment I could scrounge up, from my own stash and family I borrowed from, students got a full experience of getting out into nature, hiking, setting up and sleeping in tents and sleeping bags, cooking on a fire, and so much more. We also included discussions, team-building activities, and journal writing (with guided questions). I am encouraging and building up these 9 students as leaders, that I will then utilize on future, large-group trips. Through this trip, we were able to shed light on not only how beneficial the experience was for each and every student, but we also revealed what further needs we have if we have hopes of doing it again and with larger groups.
It is my hope that this project will provide the bulk of the equipment needed to establish a long-term, leaving-to-learn program, that will enable groups of 30-50 students, at a time, to reap the same benefits that my 9 young men received.
I'm not just talking about providing an opportunity for a "one-and-done" trip. I'm talking about providing opportunities for multiple trips a year, across multiple years, and including students from all grade levels, to experience a different view of our world and to escape the environment that they so often feel trapped in and suffocated by.
Coleman WeatherMaster 10-Person Outdoor Tent
• Amazon Business
$146.26
5
$731.30
oaskys Camping Sleeping Bag - 3 Season Warm & Cool Weather - Summer, Spring, Fall, Lightweight, Waterproof for Adults & Kids - Camping Gear Equipment, Traveling, and Outdoors
• Amazon Business
$22.99
30
$689.70
Abba Patio 10 x 20-Feet Light Portable Canopy with 6 Steel Legs, Silver & Dark Grey
• Amazon Business
$160.65
1
$160.65
Vont 4 Pack LED Camping Lantern, LED Lantern, Suitable for Survival Kits for Hurricane, Emergency Light, Storm, Outages, Outdoor Portable Lanterns, Black, Collapsible, (Batteries Included)
• Amazon Business
$27.99
2
$55.98
Materials cost
$1,637.63
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$24.56
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$1,692.19
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$298.62
Total project goal
$1,990.81
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$1,990.81
24 Donors
-$1,976.69
Donations toward project cost
-$1,692.19
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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 Coach Allen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
