{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Darwin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":30.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6384324,"projectId":8675218,"letterContent":"Thanks for your donation and help me to provide this beautiful learning station for my students. Kiddos love coming to this station to explore and learn with manipulatives. During center time, they can be observed strengthening their fine motor skills, practicing color recognition, creating patterns and building letters or shapes. They also have this space to engage in visual arts, abstract thinking and language development. This light table has been a great addition to our classroom! Thanks for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1726770123539,"projectUrl":"project/light-up-our-learning/8675218/","projectTitle":"Light Up Our Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pineda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6384324_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1651706337650","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-jpineda"},{"teacherId":6384324,"projectId":9505424,"letterContent":"Thanks for supporting this project and making these materials available in the classroom! During the school year, students had the opportunity to explore different type of units and our little ones used these materials to make connections with different units as well as academic content areas. They used these materials to strengthen their fine motor skills, develop love for visual arts, made connections with early literacy skills and language as well as math and social studies. Thanks for helping me to provide them with hands on learning experiences. These experiences helped them to learn by touching, building, and testing things, and actively engaging in their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1760822645245,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-essentials-for-a-successful-sc/9505424/","projectTitle":"Classroom Essentials for a Successful School Year!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pineda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6384324_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1651706337650","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-jpineda"},{"teacherId":8537952,"projectId":9622132,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, my second-grade dual language students had access to colorful, engaging materials that supported learning in both English and Spanish every day. The color printer allowed me to create visually clear resources that helped students stay engaged, better understand concepts, and feel excited about learning.\r\n\r\nI used the printer to prepare instructional materials, reading and writing resources, labels, signs, classroom displays, and differentiated activities that supported organization and independence in our classroom community. Having reliable access to color printing made lessons more interactive and helped create a welcoming environment where students could feel proud of their work and classroom.\r\n\r\nYour support helped provide my students with high quality materials that encouraged curiosity, confidence, and academic growth. Thank you for helping my students thrive as readers, writers, leaders, and thinkers in two languages.","fullyFundedDate":1755746016170,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-learning-starts-with-a-printer/9622132/","projectTitle":"Colorful Learning Starts with a Printer","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8537952_orig.jpg?crop=1736,1737,x0,y150&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658683859465","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8537952"},{"teacherId":8537952,"projectId":9933309,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, my students were able to engage with colorful, high quality learning materials every day. The ink and paper from this project helped me create full color reading books, writing booklets, small group resources, assessments, and differentiated learning activities that made lessons more accessible and engaging for all learners.\r\n\r\nColor visuals played an important role in helping students follow directions, recognize patterns, organize information, and stay motivated during instruction. These materials supported both whole group and small group learning while helping students build confidence as readers and writers throughout the year.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, my classroom was able to provide meaningful, visually supportive learning experiences that kept students excited about learning every single day. Thank you for investing in my students and helping make every page matter in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1765318795165,"projectUrl":"project/every-page-matters-in-our-classroom/9933309/","projectTitle":"Every Page Matters in Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8537952_orig.jpg?crop=1736,1737,x0,y150&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658683859465","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8537952"},{"teacherId":9068800,"projectId":9785347,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation and for providing hands-on materials for our classroom. I am incredibly grateful for your support and for investing in my students' learning and growth.\r\n\r\nBecause of your donation, my students are able to learn through hands-on exploration, building, sorting, creating, and problem-solving. These materials help bring lessons to life and allow students to practice important math, literacy, and fine motor skills in a fun and meaningful way. My students are more engaged, excited to learn, and able to better understand concepts because they can see, touch, and explore their learning.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has helped create a classroom environment where students are curious, creative, and confident learners. Thank you for making such a positive impact on our classroom and for supporting our students.","fullyFundedDate":1764813389854,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-tools-for-growing-minds/9785347/","projectTitle":"Hands-On Tools for Growing Minds!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Montoya","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9068800_orig.jpg?crop=1232,1232,x0,y119&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754946834167","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9068800"},{"teacherId":9068800,"projectId":9577045,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt thanks for your generous donation and for providing bookshelves for our classroom. Your kindness and support truly make a difference for my students each and every day.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, our classroom library is now more organized, accessible, and inviting for students. The bookshelves have helped us create a space where students are excited to read, explore books, and develop a love for learning. It may seem like a simple gift, but it has made a huge impact on our classroom environment and on my students.\r\n\r\nI am incredibly grateful for your support, your generosity, and your belief in our students. Thank you for helping us create a classroom filled with books, learning, and excitement.\r\n\r\nWith sincere gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1764727846132,"projectUrl":"project/little-learners-bookshelves/9577045/","projectTitle":"Little Learners’ Bookshelves","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Montoya","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9068800_orig.jpg?crop=1232,1232,x0,y119&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754946834167","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9068800"},{"teacherId":8537952,"projectId":9423754,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, I was able to transform an empty classroom into a structured and student-centered learning environment. The tables you helped provide are now used daily for small group instruction, where I work closely with students to build foundational skills and provide targeted support. This setup allows me to differentiate instruction while the rest of the class remains engaged in independent work.\r\n\r\nThe classroom rug has become one of the most important spaces in our room. It serves as our classroom library area, where students gather for reading, discussions, and shared learning experiences. When students first saw the space, they were excited and immediately drawn to it. It quickly became a place where they feel comfortable, focused, and part of a learning community.\r\n\r\nThe mobile teaching easel has been essential for whole group instruction. I use it every day to introduce vocabulary, model thinking, and create anchor charts with my students. It helps make learning visible and interactive, which increases student engagement and understanding.\r\n\r\nAs we continue through the school year, these resources are helping my students grow academically and become more independent learners. They are learning how to work collaboratively, participate in meaningful discussions, and stay engaged during instruction. Your support helped create a classroom with clear expectations, strong routines, and opportunities for every student to succeed.","fullyFundedDate":1751509428439,"projectUrl":"project/building-a-second-grade-classroom-from-t/9423754/","projectTitle":"Building a Second Grade Classroom from the Ground Up","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8537952_orig.jpg?crop=1736,1737,x0,y150&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658683859465","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8537952"},{"teacherId":8537952,"projectId":9752907,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, my students now have a dedicated and organized space for their binders through the Flex-Space Binder Storage Center. From the very first day we introduced it, students were excited to have a clear system in place. What used to take several minutes of passing out and collecting materials is now smooth and efficient. Students independently retrieve and return their binders, allowing us to maximize instructional time and stay focused on learning.\r\n\r\nOne moment that stood out was seeing how quickly my students took ownership of the system. They began helping each other, reminding classmates where materials belong, and taking pride in keeping our classroom organized. This resource has not only improved our daily routines but has also reinforced responsibility and independence—skills that are essential for their academic growth.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in my students and helping create a structured, student-centered learning environment where they can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1758862646083,"projectUrl":"project/organized-storage-for-our-leader-in-me-b/9752907/","projectTitle":"Organized Storage for Our Leader in Me Binders","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8537952_orig.jpg?crop=1736,1737,x0,y150&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658683859465","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8537952"},{"teacherId":10009750,"projectId":9952985,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom with these essential supplies. Your generosity has made a meaningful and immediate impact on our students' daily learning experience.\r\n\r\nThe pencil sharpener and ample supply of pencils have helped eliminate constant interruptions, allowing students to stay focused and ready to learn. The shelves for textbooks have been especially beneficial, as students no longer need to carry heavy books back and forth. Having materials easily accessible in the classroom has made transitions smoother and reduced stress for many students.\r\n\r\nThe headphones have been invaluable for math instruction. Students are now able to watch instructional videos and complete lessons independently on iReady, giving them the opportunity to learn at their own pace while staying engaged. The Kleenex has also been greatly appreciated, helping us keep students comfortable and focused throughout the day.\r\n\r\nThese resources may seem small, but together they have created a more organized, supportive, and effective learning environment. Thank you for investing in our students and helping set them up for success.","fullyFundedDate":1767290385707,"projectUrl":"project/helping-our-students-stay-focused-prepa/9952985/","projectTitle":"Helping Our Students Stay Focused, Prepared, and Ready to Learn!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Davies","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10009750"},{"teacherId":10009750,"projectId":9711065,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for making our calm down corner a reality. When the students first saw it, their excitement was incredible and everyone cheered. It was truly a special moment.\r\n\r\nStudents now have a dedicated space they can use when they need a break to reset and refocus. Math can be challenging, and having a place to pause, breathe, and take a step back has already helped students regulate their emotions so they can return to learning more successfully.\r\n\r\nThe visual timer has been especially helpful for both students and me, as it ensures breaks are purposeful and brief. The stress balls are also being used regularly while students work, helping them release frustration in a productive way.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made a meaningful difference in our classroom environment and in our students' ability to persevere through challenges. We are so grateful for your support.","fullyFundedDate":1765205096234,"projectUrl":"project/calm-corner/9711065/","projectTitle":"Calm Corner","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Davies","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10009750"},{"teacherId":10050681,"projectId":9451490,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support of my social work practice and my students' social-emotional learning. These materials have helped us start the year off strong as we inch closer to wrapping up the first semester of the school year. My students have especially loved the Little Spot of Emotion character plushies and their corresponding books. I have also found and purchased activities that go along with the Little Spot of Emotion curriculum, so many of our lessons have flowed smoothly. I appreciate how these materials help me differentiate my lessons (or make them approachable for students of different skill levels). And the students have loved how interactive this curriculum is. Additionally, the other social-emotional materials have helped to supplement these lessons, so my students have a variety of activities available to them.","fullyFundedDate":1755711728690,"projectUrl":"project/teaching-young-chicagoan-students-emoti/9451490/","projectTitle":"Teaching Young, Chicagoan Students Emotional Regulation & Life Skills","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gillian Ruggeri","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10050681_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751993814532","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10050681"},{"teacherId":9068800,"projectId":9576895,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your generous donation of the kidney table for our classroom. Thank you for supporting our students and helping create a space where small group learning can truly thrive.\r\n\r\nThe kidney table has made a huge difference in our classroom. I am now able to work with students in small groups more effectively, provide targeted instruction, and give students the extra support they need in reading, writing, and math. It has also created a special space where students feel comfortable, focused, and excited to learn. Small group time has become one of the most important and productive parts of our day because of this table.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has directly impacted my students' learning, confidence, and growth. Thank you for supporting our classroom and for making a meaningful difference in the daily learning experiences of my students. We are so grateful for your kindness and support.","fullyFundedDate":1760823397474,"projectUrl":"project/bright-beginnings-building-a-kinder-cla/9576895/","projectTitle":"Bright Beginnings: Building a Kinder Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Montoya","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9068800_orig.jpg?crop=1232,1232,x0,y119&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754946834167","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9068800"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5723","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":498,"numTeachers":24,"percentFrplEligible":75,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":11,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":79,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":1,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"20.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":69.5,"schoolId":5723,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Darwin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Darwin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/darwin-elementary-school/5723"}
Join the 789 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Darwin Elementary School is
an urban public school
in Chicago, Illinois that is part of Chicago Public School District 299.
It serves 498 students
in grades Pre-K - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 20.8:1.
Its teachers have had 220 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.
Public School
Title 1
Data about Title 1 status comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
Grades Pre-K - 8
498 Students
24 Teachers
3116 W Belden AveContact info is sourced from our partners at MDR Education, and DonorsChoose updates our site ahead of each school year.
Boost support for this school! Share this page with friends, family, alumni, and fellow supporters. Every connection helps teachers get the supplies they need and shows how much your community cares about its students.
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Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.
of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
84%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Darwin Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Aug 22, 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.
Darwin Elementary School
$133,079
raised using DonorsChoose
220
projects
funded
58
teachers
funded
789
donors
7
projects
for
basic supplies
21
projects for
technology
26
projects for
books
7
projects
for
art supplies
Darwin Elementary School has received support from
548 individuals from Illinois and
241 individuals out-of-state.