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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Livingstone from Durham, NC is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Livingstone is requesting

Tattooed at 12: Middle School Gangs

My students need 36 copies of Brothers in Arms, 2 sets of the Bluford bundle, 10 other gang-related books, and a Nook eReader with accessories to explore gangs.

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Livingstone's classroom raised $994

This project is fully funded

My Students

Fifteen years ago, my gang-involved boys were typically initiated shortly before graduating to high school. Now it is common to find 12-year-old boys who have already been "jumped in." Please help my students explore the consequences of gang membership through books.

My urban middle school students, many of them English Language Learners, begin the year reading years below grade level.

We read and write every day in our mixed grade Language Arts classroom, working hard to strengthen literacy so that students are prepared for high school success. My students are not all gang-involved, although all of them will be touched by gangs in some significant way before they finish middle school. Street gangs are an on-going feature of their lives at home and, unfortunately, in school. The appeal of a gang lies in the brotherhood and respect it offers to kids who may feel their options are limited. The downsides of gangs are not immediately obvious to young people who may not consider the future much beyond the next month or summer.

My Project

Brothers in Arms is the Bluford Series title which has been most popular with my students. I am asking for 35 copies of this book for students to take home and keep after we finishing reading the book together. Two complete sets of the Bluford Series will be awarded to students who create the most stunning visual posters about Brothers in Arms. I am also asking for a collection of books about gangs, including memoirs of former gang members. Finally, I am asking for one Nook eReader and accessories. This will allow one more student to access books which we already own, including information on tattoo safety which discourages young teens from acquiring amateur homemade tattoos. A small group of students will then be able to read a Nook book in a Literature Circle, an engaging new twist on a familiar format for exploring traditional books together.

This project will give an appealing book to 35 students who often have no books in their homes.

It will also open an important dialogue for students who are at high risk for gang membership. Please help me keep my students reading and tattoo-free!

Ms. Livingstone Brogden Middle School Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Durham, NC View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

65 students impacted 6donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Brothers in Arms • AKJ Books $4.95 35 $173.25
Always Running • AKJ Books $11.70 1 $11.70
Monster: The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member • AKJ Books $11.66 1 $11.66
This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha • AKJ Books $19.49 1 $19.49
8 Ball Chicks: A Year in The Violent World of Girl Gangsters • AKJ Books $12.44 1 $12.44
My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King • AKJ Books $15.26 1 $15.26
It Doesn''t Have to Be This Way: A Barrio Story/No Tiene Que • AKJ Books $6.20 4 $24.80
Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor eReader • Best Buy $249.99 1 $249.99
Targus Screen Protector with Bubble-Free Adhesive for nook - eBook reader screen protector • Best Buy $16.30 2 $32.60
Barnes & Noble NOOK AC Adapter and USB Cable Kit • Best Buy $14.95 3 $44.85
Targus Truss Case for NOOK - Black/Blue • Best Buy $29.99 3 $89.97
Full Bluford Series Boxed Set • AKJ Books $22.00 2 $44.00

Materials cost

$730.01

Vendor shipping charges

 $12.00

Sales tax

 $56.94

3rd party payment processing fee

$10.95

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$844.90

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$149.10

Total project goal

$994.00

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $994.00

4 Donors

-$101.00

Donations toward project cost

-$85.85

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$15.15

match offer

-$893.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$759.05

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$133.95

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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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. Livingstone and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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