Adams Elementary School in Riverside, California on DonorsChoose

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Recess can be wonderful, but for many of our young TK students, the high energy, fast movements, and loud noise of traditional playground play can feel overwhelming. Before we received your gifts, some students struggled during recess, feeling overstimulated, anxious, or unsure of where to anchor themselves.\r\n\r\nYou have done so much more than buy classroom supplies; you have provided our early learners with comfort, inclusion, and the foundational tools to understand and manage their feelings. You have given every child in our TK class a safe space to thrive outdoors.","fullyFundedDate":1777988224928,"projectUrl":"project/outdoor-adventures-in-early-learning/10194570/","projectTitle":"Outdoor Adventures in Early Learning!!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vasta","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2324749_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714579840938","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-vasta"},{"teacherId":2324749,"projectId":10184942,"letterContent":"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting \"Nature Meets Numbers: Hands-On Learning with Loose Parts.\" In a Transitional Kindergarten classroom, learning is at its best when it is tactile, joyful, and grounded in play. Thanks to your support, our classroom has been transformed into a bustling lab of young mathematicians and creators.\r\n\r\nWhen the Kaplan Loose Parts sets arrived, the excitement in our room was electric!! These simple, beautiful natural materials like wooden rings, polished stones, and timber blocks have given my students a tangible way to explore early math concepts like counting, sorting, pattern-making, and spatial awareness.\r\n\r\nAt the start of the year one of my students were incredibly quiet and often held back. But the moment we unboxed the Kaplan sets, his eyes lit up. He immediately began constructing intricate, symmetrical towers and counting patterns with the wooden pieces. Building gave him a voice when words felt overwhelming. Through hands-on creating, his confidence soared and soon he was inviting classmates over to proudly share his mathematical designs. These loose parts gave him a space to shine, transforming a shy learner into a confident builder.\r\n\r\nYour donation did so much more than buy classroom supplies; you provided a bridge to confidence for children who learn best by doing. You gave my four- and five-year-olds the tools to fall in love with math before they even realize they're doing it.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their early education. You have made a lasting difference in our classroom family!","fullyFundedDate":1778042587365,"projectUrl":"project/nature-meets-numbers-hands-on-learning/10184942/","projectTitle":"Nature Meets Numbers: Hands-On Learning with Loose Parts","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vasta","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2324749_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714579840938","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-vasta"},{"teacherId":2324749,"projectId":10216039,"letterContent":"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting our project, Tiny Architects: Building Big Dreams with Blocks & Ramps!\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, our classroom has been transformed into a bustling design studio. The moment the boxes arrived, my students' eyes lit up with pure joy, it felt like holiday morning in our classroom!\r\n\r\nFor four- and five-year-olds, play is learning, and these new materials have unlocked a whole new world of discovery for my tiny engineers. Every day during choice time, you can find a group of eager young builders gathered in our construction area. They aren't just stacking blocks; they are:\r\n\r\nProblem-Solving: Figuring out how to adjust the angle of a ramp so a car travels farther without crashing.\r\n\r\nCollaborating: Communicating, sharing ideas, and negotiating who builds the base and who adds the towers.\r\n\r\nDeveloping Early Physics & Math Skills: Exploring balance, gravity, symmetry, and spatial awareness through hands-on trial and error.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments so far involved a student who is usually quite shy and soft-spoken. When we opened the new block and ramp sets, his eyes widened. Within twenty minutes, he had quietly engineered a multi-tiered ramp system and was eagerly inviting his classmates over to test it out. Seeing his confidence soar as he explained his design to his peers was completely priceless.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their big dreams. We are so grateful for your kindness!","fullyFundedDate":1778196038892,"projectUrl":"project/tiny-architects-building-big-dreams-wit/10216039/","projectTitle":"Tiny Architects: Building Big Dreams with Blocks & Ramps","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vasta","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2324749_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714579840938","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-vasta"},{"teacherId":2324749,"projectId":10252796,"letterContent":"I am writing to share the incredible impact your generosity has had in our classroom. Since the Lakeshore Storytelling Puppets arrived, our literacy block has been transformed. For my young learners, these aren't just characters; they are the keys that have unlocked a new world of language and confidence. Your support has provided the \"serious learning\" through play that my students need to thrive.\r\n\r\nThe excitement in the room is palpable whenever the puppets come out. My students have been eager to retell classic tales like The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks, but what has been most impressive is their burgeoning creativity. They aren't just sticking to the script—they are creating their own parts, adding new dialogue, and inventing \"sequels\" to the stories we read. This level of engagement is a clear sign that their reading comprehension and narrative skills are soaring. They are no longer just passive listeners; they are active creators of their own literacy journeys.\r\n\r\nBeyond the academic gains, these puppets have taught us invaluable social lessons. As our \"stage\" comes to life, the rest of the class has been practicing how to be a respectful audience. They are learning the patience required to wait for their turn and the kindness needed to cheer on their peers. Thank you for giving my students the tools to find their voices and for making our classroom a place where stories truly come alive!","fullyFundedDate":1778127960560,"projectUrl":"project/from-play-to-prose-mastering-retelling/10252796/","projectTitle":"From Play to Prose: Mastering Retelling with Puppets","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vasta","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2324749_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714579840938","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-vasta"},{"teacherId":2324749,"projectId":9237431,"letterContent":"When our mud kitchen arrived, my transitional kindergarten students were absolutely thrilled. 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About this school

Adams Elementary School is an urban public school in Riverside, California that is part of Riverside Unified School District. It serves 500 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 22.7:1. Its teachers have had 20 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 6

500 Students

22 Teachers

8362 Colorado Ave

Riverside, CA 92504 View local requests

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Adams Elementary School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Adams Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Adams Elementary School Demographics

66%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

91%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Adams Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Aug 19, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.