{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Willard Intermediate School","outOfStateSupporters":35.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10382412,"projectId":9955940,"letterContent":"Your generous donation provided a variety of board games for students to enjoy while visiting the library. While libraries are typically considered as quiet spaces for study or reading, the library at this particular campus is as unique as its' student populace. Many of our students are experiencing the long-lasting, negative effects of the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. At that time, the students were in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade. These early elementary grades are crucial for student growth and development of their literacy skills. Without in-classroom instruction and encouragement to read, this cohort of students experienced a severe, negative impact to their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. As a result, they do not consider reading an enjoyable activity or see the library as an inviting space. \r\nWhen I started at this campus in 2023 I decided to make it my mission to change this mindset. With my years of experience in the public library field I completely revitalized the campus library to serve as a space in which students could easily access, interact with and borrow books. Ease of access, however, was only the first part of my mission. For the next part, I had to shift my focus to creating an environment in which students could feel relaxed and welcome, and so I asked students to share what they'd like their library to have available for them. One of the most requested items was board games. A simple enough request, but with no room in the school budget to purchase games directly I had to turn to the community for support. That is when Panda Cares stepped up. \r\nInitially, when I received notice that the project was funded, I could not believe what I was reading. It all seemed too good to be true. It wasn't until the shipping notices came through that I started to share the news with students. One student in particular, let's call them Dave, was thrilled to find out that the library was getting chess boards. In fact, it was Dave's interest in starting a chess club at the library during lunch that inspired this Donors Choose project. Seeing the sheer excitement and joy on their face when I shared the good news really made my day. Since then, Dave has been at the library, almost every day, to either play chess or another board game with their peers. \r\nThis donation had the sort of impact I was hoping for. Having board games available for student use has changed the student perception of the library. They now see it as an inviting space for those who like to read, those who need to study, or those who need a break from it all and just want to enjoy a board game with friends. Thanks to this donation from Panda Cares, students now have a variety of screen-free activities to enjoy with one another. I appreciate this generosity, the impact of which I get to observe day after day.","fullyFundedDate":1769177622545,"projectUrl":"project/library-board-game-bundle-plus/9955940/","projectTitle":"Library Board Game Bundle, Plus","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Abel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10382412_orig.jpg?crop=2735,2735,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1774468987855","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/booksnotscreens"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_93173","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":444,"numTeachers":33,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":97,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"13.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":64.6,"schoolId":93173,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Willard Intermediate School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Willard Intermediate School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/santa-ana-unified-school-district/willard-intermediate-school/93173"}
Join the 144 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Willard Intermediate School is
an urban public school
in Santa Ana, California that is part of Santa Ana Unified School District.
It serves 444 students
in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 13.5:1.
Its teachers have had 31 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Share and help support Willard Intermediate School
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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
98%
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.
Willard Intermediate School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated May 1, 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.
Willard Intermediate School
$39,490
raised using DonorsChoose
31
projects
funded
16
teachers
funded
144
donors
3
projects
for
basic supplies
4
projects for
technology
4
projects for
books
Willard Intermediate School has received support from
93 individuals from California and
51 individuals out-of-state.
