Grand Prairie Elementary School in Joliet, Illinois on DonorsChoose

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The students are fully engaged with the new stories, and I've seen a noticeable increase in their excitement and participation during our sessions. These books have introduced them to new vocabulary, sparked rich discussions, and provided a much-needed boost in their reading confidence.\r\n\r\nThe impact of your donation goes beyond just the books—it has created joyful, memorable moments in our learning space. Watching my students light up during read-aloud time and connect with characters and stories has been truly rewarding. Your support has enriched their learning experience and reinforced the importance of reading in a way that will stay with them. 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Your donation helped bring this meaningful project to life and made a real difference in the lives of our students and their families.\r\n\r\nWe were thrilled to distribute the reading kits during our recent Family Literacy Night event—a special evening focused on celebrating the joy of reading together. Thanks to your support, each family received a kit that included a reading journal, a bookmark highlighting the importance of reading at home, a journal for families to track their reading (complete with a fun gel pen!), and a ring of discussion questions designed to spark meaningful conversations around any book.\r\n\r\nThe response from families was incredibly positive. Students were excited to take their kits home, and parents shared how thankful they were for the tools that support literacy in such a fun and engaging way. Your generosity not only helped supply materials—it helped build stronger connections between school and home, and inspired a love of reading that will continue to grow.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our mission and investing in our students' futures. Your support made Family Literacy Night even more special, and we are truly grateful.\r\n\r\nWith appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1733258305470,"projectUrl":"project/family-reading-toolkits/8973630/","projectTitle":"Family Reading Toolkits","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Smothers","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3018059_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1548039652383","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3018059"},{"teacherId":9593246,"projectId":8497580,"letterContent":"Thank you for your incredible generosity in supporting A Safe Space for Spectacular Students. 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About this school

Grand Prairie Elementary School is a suburban public school in Joliet, Illinois that is part of Plainfield Consolidated School District 202. It serves 535 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.5:1. Its teachers have had 23 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Grades K - 5

535 Students

37 Teachers

3100 Caton Farm Rd

Joliet, IL 60431 View local requests

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Grand Prairie Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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Grand Prairie Elementary School Demographics

95%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

49%

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.

Grand Prairie Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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.