My students need to help others by supplying fidgets and sensory tools to a school-based tutoring program that works with students who are experiencing homelessness.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
As a school social worker in a low-income/high poverty school district, I see that my students are faced with several challenges both in and out of the classroom. Many come from single-parent homes, many have experienced homelessness and now they live in a home with multiple family members or they live in a shelter or hotel, many face hunger and many don't have a bed to sleep on at night. Many have experienced traumatic events such as witnessing domestic violence, loss of a loved one due to violence, living in an unsafe environment and living with a loved one who has an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Despite the many challenges they face, my students are resilient, they are eager to learn and they want to make a difference in the lives of others!
Even though they face difficult situations, my students thrive when they are able to help others.
We have been working on developing a strong school community, one in which we help each other and we understand that everyone has different needs and different life experiences. My students are looking forward to participating in a service learning project that will have a positive impact on others!
My Project
Our school is very fortunate to partner with the nonprofit organization, School on Wheels. School on Wheels brings more than 400 volunteers to nine partner shelter locations and four public schools and provides tutoring sessions to the children at these facilities up to four times each week. Their tutoring program supports both youth experiencing homelessness and those students who are considered “hidden homeless.” Youth who represent the hidden homeless population are those children who are living in transition outside of the shelter system. They reach this population through school-based partnerships, like the one at our school.
My students would like to give back to School on Wheels by creating calm down toolkits for each School on Wheels shelter and public school program.
Each toolkit would contain a stretchy fidget, a tangle fidget, ooze tube, play putty, and spiky sensory roller to encourage program participants, with the support of their tutor, to work through the array of feelings they may experience as a result of being homeless while trying to stay on top of and complete their school work. Our hope is that the toolkit will help the participants focus during their tutoring sessions and provide some peace of mind.
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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. Thomas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
