{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Twin Cities Academy","outOfStateSupporters":33.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10221849,"projectId":9647694,"letterContent":"Twin Cities Academy Engineering Design would love to thank each of you for contributing to our academic endeavors of Computer-Aided Design. Your donations completely funded a Bambu 3D printer. Students have engaged in learning about CAD through the open source software Onshape. They started by learning the basic functionality of some of the tools within the software to make 3D objects. \r\n\r\nMy students were given a design challenge of Building a Boat using everyday materials to measure the amount of pennies their boat could support before sinking. After finishing this project, we then extended it with Build a Boat 2.0, which required students to design 3D boats within Onshape, then print using our printer to put them to the test. \r\n\r\nThis purposeful sequence of actions has elicited student engagement of the content and has also bridged understandings of the Engineering Design Process. Students got first-hand experience of seeing how their ideas don't always transfer to reality as well as they had intended. Furthermore, the specific scientific understandings of floatation (i.e., buoyancy) was explored within 3D print settings. Students had an \"aha\" moment when they realized they could make a design that consists of air pockets, to decrease the overall density of their boats. \r\n\r\nLastly, a few of my students shared their most exciting aspect of having the 3D printer is the fact that they don't need to use simulations for testing their ideas. They can actually bring their ideas to life through the printer. Furthermore, another student commented on appreciating understanding/experiencing the process from design to print to test to implementation. Very real engineering actions!","fullyFundedDate":1756782473349,"projectUrl":"project/inner-city-3d-printing/9647694/","projectTitle":"Inner City 3d Printing!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Smuk","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10221849"},{"teacherId":9702149,"projectId":8695605,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations of chess clocks! We held our first chess tournament with the new clocks and it went so well and so quickly. The students remarked on how \"legit\" it felt to be using the clocks, and from a personal standpoint, it made disputes over time keeping much easier! We were able to run the tournament much faster with the addition of the clocks.\r\n\r\nIt also has set us up to run future tournaments. It's so wonderful to see our students so engaged in the grand tradition of chess! We look forward to seeing them learn and grow, especially with the help of our clocks!","fullyFundedDate":1733248952798,"projectUrl":"project/chess-clocks-for-chess-enthusiasts/8695605/","projectTitle":"Chess Clocks for Chess Enthusiasts!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gorman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9702149"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_68907","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":547,"numTeachers":38,"percentFrplEligible":70,"percentAsian":19,"percentBlack":26,"percentWhite":17,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":28,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"14.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":66.7,"schoolId":68907,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Twin Cities Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Twin Cities Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/minnesota/minnesota-department-of-education/twin-cities-academy/68907"}
Join the 183 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Twin Cities Academy is
an urban public school
in Saint Paul, Minnesota that is part of Minnesota Department of Education.
It serves 547 students
in grades 6 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.4:1.
Its teachers have had 57 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Boost support for our school's classrooms. Share this page with friends and family who want to make a difference. If you're a teacher, sign up to get started!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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.
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
73%
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.
Twin Cities Academy 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.
Twin Cities Academy
$33,475
raised using DonorsChoose
57
projects
funded
11
teachers
funded
183
donors
3
projects
for
basic supplies
9
projects for
technology
2
projects for
books
Twin Cities Academy has received support from
122 individuals from Minnesota and
61 individuals out-of-state.