We need these tools to create the furniture and home goods that our customers of our classroom business have wanted to make for years!
$2,630 goal
This project expired on September 17, 2017.
This project expired on September 17, 2017.
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 classroom has no 'typical day'. At a project based school, the engineering classroom is a mix of controlled chaos, incredible innovation, and exploration of how the world of physics and technology works. Some days studying scientific principles, others exploring them with our hands and minds.
My students are an eclectic mix. We are a public charter school that tries to get an accurate mix of San Diego's cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic makeup. We are also a full inclusion school, meaning that students with IEP's and 504's, non-Honors students, and Honors students are all taught in the same room. This provides a unique culture, as well as unique challenges that more accurately represent the non-academic world. Students at our school not only learn the content you'd expect in high school in a deep and authentic way, but also the ability to present their learning and knowledge. They learn to self-advocate and understand the interconnected nature of the traditional school subjects in a way not available in a traditional learning environment. It's a phenomenal place to work, and a learn for everyone here.
Treehouse37 is a small business started by our Media Arts' engineering class, and an educational entrepreneurship program called "Real World Scholars". Together we've created patio furniture, upcycled used wine barrels, and our current product line is handcrafted, and expertly designed cutting boards. We've run into a lot of issues with the current product line, the tools to take them to the highest quality level are pretty expensive, so we're going to Donor's Choose for help.
This project has already pushed students in ways I could not have imagined when we started; not only their design and construction skills but problem-solving, community outreach, marketing, social media and presentation skills. They've launched their own business, and run into all the joys, and frustrations one can imagine in such an endeavor. Now, we'd like to take their products to the next level.
In Their Own Words
We're trying to make even higher quality products for our business is Treehouse37. We need additional tools and equipment in order to do that. The thickness sander will let us create incredibly beautiful end-grain cutting boards. We've managed to make a couple of them, and they sell incredibly well. So far this Treehouse37 has been one of my favorite projects at HTHMA, and I'm excited to expand our product line!
Several of us have already become classroom leaders, leading marketing, social media, design, community outreach, and construction departments in our class. It's been a great chance for all of us to learn what it's like to start, run, and maintain a thriving business. It's also been a lot of fun, getting out of the monotony of a 'normal' class, and into our community, and earning money for scholarships!
We're all learning how to run a business, and earn money for college. It's been pretty cool getting a chance to learn how to make things with our hands and is worthy of being sold to the general public. It's been really cool knowing that the money we make goes back to our school, and helps other students go to college.
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. Cavalier and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
