Help me give my students new books to create a socially responsive library!
$461 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.
My students represent a cross section of diverse neighborhoods throughout East Bay. They are beautiful youth of color and although they are a collection of brown bodies, many of them do not feel comfortable in their own skins. Although we embrace and celebrate diversity on campus, our youth are still a product of a society that does not place beauty and value on characteristics and features that we possess.
A 1st grader was in tears with a jacket over her head.
I asked her why she was covering it and she said that her older sister had made fun of her hair. I tried to tell her that her hair was beautiful, but the damage was already too great and all she wanted to do was change her hair. It saddened my heart that this young girl had received the impression that her natural hair is not attractive, and I worried about the effect it would have on her self-esteem and confidence.
The books in the library I propose to create, celebrate our differences and uniqueness. They tell stories that illustrate a narrative that is contrary to mainstream definitions and societal norms.
My Project
When I come to work, I look out at a sea of beautiful brown faces whose ancestral roots stretch across the entire globe. None of us are born into this world believing we are less than or different than others until societal constructs cement our experiences and influence our beliefs.
We learn about ourselves, others and the world around us through the stories we share and hear.
We can challenge the status quo when we take agency and use our own voices to tell our own stories. It is an expression of activism and social justice. My project is to create an afterschool library that includes books that address race, identity, culture, social justice and celebrate the beauty of being different. The creation of this library will be representative of our diverse community, allow us to address important issues in kid friendly language, will support literacy, critical thinking and promote empathy.
Your donation will create a library of stories that are inclusive, relevant, socially responsive with the messages of peace, unity, love and community.
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 Mr. Rha and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
