Help me give my students portable and professional art materials to express themselves
$999 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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.
Our school is the largest in the state of Connecticut with 3,400 students enrolled. Many of my students receive free and reduced-price lunch and are from a single parent household. We struggle with attendance for students who lack strong parental support at home. A student that misses 2 or more days a week creates a constant cycle of trying to catch up, being overloaded and disengaging.
Some of my students find solace in the arts.
A number of my students struggle academically because they process information differently. These students are failing or on the edge of failing multiple classes. For them, school becomes a defeating environment. Visual, kinesthetic and project-based learning are a big part of my art room.
Many of my students are English Language Learners. Over 40 different languages are spoken in the district which makes the atmosphere diverse and fun. All my posters and instruction material are printed in multiple languages. I often sit next students and teach them to draw traditionally or digitally without using words; we just exchange the same drawing.
My Project
I teach 3 full classes of studio art each semester.
I would like to reach my disengaged students in 2 ways; by being portable and professional.
My project would provide art materials that will enable the students who struggle with attendance to have supplies that travel with them. This by no means is to promote their absenteeism but instead to show the student I care about their learning. Handing a student a pencil box of art supplies and a sketchpad is a way to connect and build confidence in their abilities. I want them to want to come back and show me their art.
My project would also provide professional grade materials to students who disengage because they struggle academically. Visual Arts has the ability to reach students who process differently. For some students the art room is what brings them to school. We need to keep these students engaged and show them their thinking and art is valued. Unfortunately, our monetary constraints don’t allow for the more engaging level art materials. My students are in high school and need art supplies above the Crayola level to keep them interested and involved.
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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 Mrs. Swenson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
