Using Leadership & Coaching to Build Student and School Identity
I need materials and resources to expand creative, purposeful and dynamic interventions for my students in my elementary school that has high and diverse needs but is inadequately resourced.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Conners's classroom raised $381
This project is fully funded
My Students
Frankly, my students are awesome. They are resilient, creative, loving and passionate. My students live in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. The area receives a lot of news coverage about crime, gangs, drugs, and poverty. Yes, these factors are ever present in my students' lives more so than in other areas of our city/state/nation. More than 97% of the students that attend our school fall in the "low-income" range. But my students are much more than that. The families deeply care about their children and the neighborhood. Families participate in the family night, parents attend report card pick up, fathers take their daughters to the Father/Daughter dance and most importantly, our students come to school.
Our attendance rate is over 96%.
Why is that important? Despite the hurdles my students face such as witnessing violence, being exposed to trauma and living in situations in which necessities like food and regular shelter are not always a given, they come to school. They are eager to learn. They are motivated to succeed. They show pride in who they are.
My Project
My school is filled with talented, hard-working people who face daily obstacles in an underfunded, under-resourced, and high needs community. My school is in a district that does not provide equitable funding. There is extensive research that indicates that schools with a large population of non-white students have a higher chance of being exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACE) like poverty, violence, and trauma and schools like mine are often left to our own to identify resources and funding on our own.
Given the complexity of my school's needs coupled with the inequity of resources and funding available to adequately address those needs, I am seeking materials that will help me expand my leadership and creativity in order to design solution focus interventions and programs at my school and potential funding for these programs.
This project is coupled with another DonorsChoose.org project of mine with a learning institute to effectively design for and implement change through innovation. I will use that training and these materials to create a Problem Solving Team that identifies solutions and action steps to address systemic issues. For example, this could include conducting taking an inventory of student need/interest of after-school programming and identify grants and fundraising opportunities to support these efforts. A specific goal I have is learning how to seek out and write grants to access funding. Some schools in my school district have access to or parents who have developed non-profit or parent led fundraising because of their professional experience and access to funding sources. I would also like to explore developing a non-profit for school fundraising like "Friends of Howe" that seeks out corporate or larger
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
Sustainable Earth by Staples Easel Pads, 27" x 36", White, 50 Sheets/Pad, 4 Pads/Carton (17639)
• Staples Advantage
$32.96
1
$32.96
Merrell's Strong Start―Grades K–2: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum, Second Edition
• Amazon Business
$32.14
1
$32.14
Paper Mate Flair Felt-Tip Pens, Ultra Fine Point, Black, 12/pk (8330152)
• Staples Advantage
$30.24
1
$30.24
Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach
• Amazon Business
$27.34
1
$27.34
Post-it Super Sticky Notes, 3" x 3", Rio De Janeiro Collection, 12/Pads (654-12SSUC)
• Staples Advantage
$22.29
1
$22.29
50-State Step by Step Guide to Forming A Nonprofit Charitable Organization: What Forms To Fill Out, How & Where To File, The Exact Cost For Filing, What Licenses And Permits You Need For Each State
• Amazon Business
$18.85
1
$18.85
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
• Amazon Business
$17.47
1
$17.47
Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All
• Amazon Business
$16.88
1
$16.88
School Fundraising: So Much More than Cookie Dough
• Amazon Business
$13.56
1
$13.56
Social Skills Activities for Kids: 50 Fun Exercises for Making Friends, Talking and Listening, and Understanding Social Rules
• Amazon Business
$11.74
1
$11.74
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (Crossing Press Feminist Series)
• Amazon Business
$11.55
1
$11.55
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
• Amazon Business
$11.55
1
$11.55
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
• Amazon Business
$11.00
1
$11.00
The Growth Mindset Coach: A Teacher's Month-by-Month Handbook for Empowering Students to Achieve
• Amazon Business
$10.84
1
$10.84
The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need
• Amazon Business
$10.55
1
$10.55
The Skin I'm In: A First Look at Racism (A First Look at...Series)
• Amazon Business
$3.38
3
$10.14
Materials cost
$289.10
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$4.34
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$323.44
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$57.08
Total project goal
$380.52
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$380.52
7 Donors
-$380.52
Donations toward project cost
-$323.44
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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. Conners and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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