{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Dunbar Vocational Career Academy","outOfStateSupporters":32.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8159388,"projectId":9874263,"letterContent":"Wow... this has been crazy in the best way.\r\nMs. Tyesa's After-Bell Pantry Project is officially a hit.\r\n\r\nMy students are now able to grab food after school, and for some of them, it's not just a snack — it's dinner. The Hormel meals, the noodles, the fruit cups... they make little \"goody bags\" to take home for themselves and their siblings. Since the SNAP benefits had been cut, being able to provide this food has made a real difference.\r\n\r\nBecause of my amazing donors, we have been able to keep food on the shelves.\r\nMy students were so excited when they saw the non-perishable items come in. They recognized some of their favorite little foods and knew they could depend on someone caring enough to help them. Their parents were just as grateful.\r\n\r\nMy next steps for this project and for my classroom are simple:\r\nKeep giving. Keep sharing. Keep helping those who need help.\r\nYou never know when or where someone may need a little kindness, so it's always okay to be kind.\r\n\r\nAnd the sweetest part?\r\nI have students walking up to me saying, \"Ms. Tyesa, my mama said I could bring a can of string beans to donate to somebody.\"\r\n\r\nIt's working.\r\nIt's definitely working.","fullyFundedDate":1762874368583,"projectUrl":"project/ms-tyesas-after-bell-pantry-project/9874263/","projectTitle":"Ms. Tyesa's After-Bell Pantry Project","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tyesa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8159388_orig.jpg?crop=1158,1158,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757446051415","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8159388"},{"teacherId":9468879,"projectId":9620166,"letterContent":"Thank you so so much for your generous donations. I just want to share the ways in which you have made an impact on my school. \r\n\r\nI had mentioned in the project how I've noticed my students aren't drinking enough water and many don't trust that the drinking fountain water is clean. With your donations I was able to purchase a mini fridge, reusable cups and a brita filter water pitcher. Happy to report, everybody loves it. The kids that come by are chugging water now, I swear to you. Imagine you are crying your little heart out- you want to be offered a cold glass of water, right? Helps you slow down and breathe. \r\n\r\nNow, the snacks. The snacks speak for themselves, in my opinion. It was honestly a gamble ordering the protein breakfast bars, because I know they are a little less fun than hot chips and chewy bars, but the kids ended up liking them! I saved the \"junk food\" for treats/incentives, and offered the healthier, protein and fiber-packed bars for kids that came in on an empty stomach.\r\n\r\n\r\nAnyway, you've made a big difference in a thousand little ways and I appreciate you for that.","fullyFundedDate":1755653605574,"projectUrl":"project/nobody-is-doing-their-best-when-theyre/9620166/","projectTitle":"Nobody is Doing their Best When They’re Hungry and Dehydrated","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brannan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9468879_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762187657895","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9468879"},{"teacherId":8159388,"projectId":9700344,"letterContent":"Math in Motion: Let's Go Shopping Project\r\nWith the help of Donors Choose and our amazing sponsor the reactions first received when my students saw the materials given was total excitement. To witness how excited and engaged my students were when they first saw the new materials donated for our project, does my heart well. The refrigerator, microwave, and non-perishable food items immediately sparked their curiosity and enthusiasm. For many of our students, especially those on the spectrum, having tangible and realistic tools made the learning experience come alive in a way that traditional lessons cannot.\r\n\r\nUsing these materials, our class explored important independent living and math skills such as shopping, budgeting, adding, and comparing prices. Students practiced identifying grocery items, categorizing food types, and calculating total costs for shopping trips. These hands-on activities provided meaningful practice in decision-making, problem-solving, and applying math to real-life situations.\r\n\r\nThe next steps in our curriculum build on this momentum as our students learn how to tell time—an essential life skill that will connect directly to their shopping and cooking lessons. They will practice reading both analog and digital clocks, planning shopping times, and understanding how time management plays a role in daily living.\r\n\r\nThis project has had a significant impact on my students' learning. The materials made concepts concrete, increased engagement, and promoted independence and confidence. Our students were not only learning math—they were learning everyday life skills that will definitely be needed.","fullyFundedDate":1758895990808,"projectUrl":"project/math-in-motion-lets-go-shopping/9700344/","projectTitle":"Math in Motion: Lets Go Shopping","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tyesa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8159388_orig.jpg?crop=1158,1158,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757446051415","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8159388"},{"teacherId":9468879,"projectId":8908107,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations! My students have been so happy to be able to come and ask for a snack. My therapeutic groups have been running smoothly with the help of your snacks.\r\n\r\nI have been giving away the backpacks and planners as students come in needing them. I am hopeful that the snacks will last me through the rest of the year! I've got 2 boxes of chewy bars, 2 boxes of fruit snacks, and a half box of granola bars left- the kids LOVE those nature valley granola bars! \r\n\r\nI am really so amazed by the generosity and community I have found on Donors Choose. In a world that can feel a little hopeless at times, you all have given me a lot of hope.","fullyFundedDate":1738004788880,"projectUrl":"project/snacks-for-group-backpacks-and-planners/8908107/","projectTitle":"Snacks for Group, Backpacks and Planners!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brannan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9468879_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762187657895","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9468879"},{"teacherId":8159388,"projectId":8911327,"letterContent":"I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering support. Your willingness to go above and beyond to help \"Rock and Roll Cluster 106\". Your support is invaluable, thank you so much for your generosity. The excitement in the classroom was contagious when my students walked in and saw the brand-new materials purchased with the generous funding from our donors. Their eyes lit up with joy as they explored the fresh supplies—everything from hands-on learning tools to engaging resources that will enhance our lessons. Some students clapped, others gasped in excitement, and a few even asked, \"Are these really for us?\" Seeing their enthusiasm reminded me just how impactful community support can be in creating meaningful learning experiences.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNow that we have these new materials, my students are diving into lessons with renewed energy, using them to build skills they'll need for their next big project—community-based instruction tours! Soon, we'll be heading out to our local grocery store, clothing store, and restaurant to apply what we've been learning in real-world settings. These trips will give them the confidence to navigate everyday tasks, from budgeting and shopping for essentials to understanding customer service and dining etiquette. Thanks to our donors, they're not just learning in the classroom—they're preparing for life!","fullyFundedDate":1734551631550,"projectUrl":"project/rock-and-roll-cluster-106/8911327/","projectTitle":"Rock and Roll Cluster 106","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tyesa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8159388_orig.jpg?crop=1158,1158,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757446051415","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8159388"},{"teacherId":9468879,"projectId":8907148,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations to my students and my office. My students have blown through the snacks and the comfy seating on my new rug has been THE spot.\r\n\r\nRunning 2 therapeutic groups has been an eye opening journey. If anyone is a social worker following along, I highly recommend Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress. My students are under chronic stress, due to racism, poverty, community violence, domestic violence, incarceration of those close to them, and the list goes on and on. But to provide the therapeutic space to listen and learn is making a huge difference for the ones who are in it. It's been so great that I am planning on starting a third SPARCS group next week, just to reach more kids. And your weekly snack donation has made it so they have a treat to look forward to and aren't hungry and distracted during group.\r\n\r\nThe rug was a game changer. I was hesitant to ask for something so big and expensive, but it has transformed my space into the comfy, safe and welcoming office I dreamed of providing. You'll see in one of my photos that a student was excited to carry the rig up to my office and help me set it up in just the right spot. I didn't anticipate my teens being excited about a new rug but they LOVE it and I think it makes them feel good to see me creating a special space for them to come for support.\r\n\r\nCould never have done it without you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you.","fullyFundedDate":1730159353947,"projectUrl":"project/decorate-the-office-dole-out-the-snacks/8907148/","projectTitle":"Decorate the Office, Dole Out the Snacks!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brannan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9468879_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762187657895","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9468879"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5693","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":366,"numTeachers":28,"percentFrplEligible":84,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":94,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":4,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"13.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":67.2,"schoolId":5693,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Dunbar Vocational Career Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Dunbar Vocational Career Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/paul-l-dunbar-vocational-career-academy/5693"}