Karshner Elementary School in Puyallup, Washington on DonorsChoose

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I'm always able to have calm music playing in the background and many students enjoy picking their own card to help choose what music to listen to during our check-in, session, or small group. \r\n\r\nBecause of the portability of Yoto, I've also been able to bring the Yoto to classrooms for lessons. I've been leading a series of lessons in fourth-grade on bullying prevention and at the beginning of every session, we listen to a Yoto mindfulness exercise. I've been doing the same thing in my sixth-grade classes at the beginning of each mental health lesson I've been teaching. The concept of mindfulness has been foreign to most of my students, so to have an easy and engaging way to help them practice it with Yoto has been transformative since it can be a difficult notion for children to understand. \r\n\r\nWhen I first got the Yoto Player, none of my students had heard of it before and they've been very intrigued by it. They want to touch it and test out changing the volume and changing the songs; because it's kid-friendly, they can! Using materials that are student-centered is very important to me. I want to meet kids where they are at and walk alongside them on their journey. Because Yoto is made for kids, I don't have to worry about them mishandling it or not being able to figure out the settings. They love picking a card and putting it in the slot. Many kids laugh at turning the volume up all the way and hearing how loud it gets. Because the Yoto is so engaging, they actually listen to the music and the mindfulness stories instead of tuning them out. After having the Yoto at school for a few months, a third-grade teacher has gotten one for her class after I started bringing mine into her classroom for lessons. Likewise, a fourth-grade student was so excited to tell me about the Yoto Player she got for Christmas when we recently returned from winter break. 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About this school

Karshner Elementary School is a suburban public school in Puyallup, Washington that is part of Puyallup School District. It serves 413 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 16.5:1. Its teachers have had 19 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 6

413 Students

25 Teachers

1328 8th Ave NW

Puyallup, WA 98371 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

Karshner 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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Karshner Elementary School Demographics

57%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

46%

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.

Karshner 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.