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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. O'Hara from Worcester, MA is requesting sports & exercise equipment through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. O'Hara is requesting

Turn Up the Heat: Help Fund Our Kiln!

Help me give my students a kiln to fire their clay creations and explore the full artistic process in our growing high school ceramics program.

  • $7,614 goal

This project expired on September 11, 2025.

This project expired on September 11, 2025.

My Project

For three years, we’ve held onto the dream of giving our ceramics students the kiln they need to truly flourish. In our vibrant inner-city public school, creativity isn’t just encouraged—it’s everywhere. These students bring energy, expression, and emotion into every piece they shape. But like many public schools, we face real financial limitations, and big-ticket items like a new kiln often feel just beyond our reach.

They have the vision, the heart, and the skill—what they need now is a kiln that believes in them, too.

After personally developing the first ceramics curriculum for Worcester Public Schools and leading its pilot implementation this year, I quickly realized our current kiln is simply too small to meet the growing needs of our classroom. Students are forced to shrink their ideas, scale back their sculptures, and wait weeks just to see their work fired. Large projects must be cut down, glaze experiments are delayed, and enthusiasm can dim when their creative momentum stalls. Still, they show up each day full of passion and persistence—ready to mold their thoughts into something real.

They deserve more.

A full-sized, efficient kiln would be a game-changer. It would allow students to explore ambitious ideas, complete full-scale work, and fully engage with the sculptural and glazing process. Most importantly, it would show them that their creativity is worth investing in.

With your support, we can finally give these incredible young artists the tools they need to dream big, fire bold, and feel seen. Let’s turn up the heat—together.

Ms. O'Hara Burncoat High School Grades 9-12

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.

Worcester, MA View local requests

Nearly all 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

50 students impacted

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

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Skutt KM1027 Kiln, 208 Volts, 48 Amps, 9984 Watts, 1 Phase - Middle-High School - Adult • School Specialty $4,898.21 1 $4,898.21

Materials cost

$4,898.21

Vendor shipping charges

 $1,469.46

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$73.47

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$6,471.14

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$1,141.97

Total project goal

$7,613.11

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

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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 Ms. O'Hara and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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