Trash to Treasure Student- Run Business for At-Risk Youth
My students need sanders, sanding supplies, clamps, levels, and sawhorses to begin their trash to treasure business, building self-esteem, self-sufficiency, and soft skills.
The Therapeutic Learning Classroom (TLC) is a behavior program with an emphasis on social/ emotional supports. My students come to me having learned ineffective default behaviors that, often times, result in attendance issues, legal issues, social issues, authority issues, and self-esteem issues. It is our philosophy to establish a rapport with our students by providing basic needs such as the sense of safety, and a sense of belonging, while building self-advocacy skills such as identifying their needs and learning to voice their needs in an appropriate way. In doing so, we strive to build confident, capable members of society.
My Project
Our high school students are enrolled in a self-contained classroom focused on behavioral, and social-emotional strategies. Our students are at-risk students who have been through trauma or are currently experiencing trauma. Our students face struggles at home, legal issues, dependency issues, and self-esteem issues. Our students struggle to find hope or a sense of belonging.
We have the opportunity to build a trash to treasure business, where we turn second hand items into repurposed craft items, and usable furniture.
In doing so, our students learn basic repairs, how to use tools, how to create, how to work in customer service, how to market their wares, and how to budget money. Half of their earnings will be invested into their business, and half of their money will be spent on group field trips intended to develop a greater sense of community and belonging. Our hope is to build a foundation where hope and belonging takes precedence over violence and self harm.
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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. F. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
