Baldwin Park High School in Baldwin Park, California on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Baldwin Park High School","outOfStateSupporters":35.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9381693,"projectId":9881568,"letterContent":"I'm currently in my 27th year of teaching, and if I'm being honest, it's getting harder to surprise me. I've seen every \"revolutionary\" gadget come and go, but most of them just end up gathering dust in a supply closet. However, what's happening in my 9th-grade Biology classes right now with the Databots is different. It's the first time in a long time I've felt the energy in the room shift from \"Why do we have to learn this?\" to \"Wait, let me see that.\"\r\nWe recently moved away from the textbook to do a deep dive into Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and the impact was immediate.\r\nBringing Biology Home\r\nBiology can feel like something that only happens in a rainforest or a lab coat. But by using the Databots to audit the air in our own school, the kids realized that biology is happening right in their own lungs.\r\nWe had groups of students roaming the halls like investigators. They weren't just reading about CO2 levels or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); they were hunting for them.\r\nThe \"Stuffiness\" Mystery: One group tracked CO2 levels in a packed classroom versus an empty hallway. Seeing that graph climb as the period went on made the concept of gas exchange and human respiration hit home in a way my lectures never could. One student looked at the spike on his screen and said, \"No wonder I feel tired by 4th period.\"\r\nThe Cleaning Closet Discovery: Another group used the VOC sensors near the janitor's closet. Watching the sensors react to chemical cleaners opened up a massive, unprompted debate about environmental health and how our bodies react to synthetic irritants.\r\nReal Science is Messy (and Great)\r\nThe \"aha!\" moments were everywhere. For more than 25 years, I've handed out worksheets with perfect, pre-drawn graphs. With the Databots, the data is jagged, it's real, and sometimes it's confusing—and that's where the actual learning happened.\r\nStudents were troubleshooting, comparing readings, and asking me questions I didn't always have the answers to. That's the dream for a teacher. They weren't just memorizing definitions of \"toxins\" or \"aeration\"; they were measuring the invisible forces that affect their actual health every single day.\r\nThe Verdict from the \"Old Guard\"\r\nI'll admit, I can be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to new tech. But seeing a kid who usually hides in the back of the room suddenly leading a team to find the best-ventilated spot in the library... that's hard to argue with.\r\nThese tools have turned my 9th graders into a bunch of junior public health officials. They're looking at their environment through a lens of data and biology that simply wasn't accessible to them before. It breathed a lot of fresh air—literally and figuratively—into my teaching practice.\r\nThank you for helping us make the invisible visible.","fullyFundedDate":1763566959336,"projectUrl":"project/databot-for-eager-scientists/9881568/","projectTitle":"Databot for Eager Scientists","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fenoy-Ovadia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9381693_orig.jpg?crop=627,627,x0,y33&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1775871416323","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/fenoyovadia"},{"teacherId":9381693,"projectId":9886669,"letterContent":"Over my 25 years of teaching biology, I've seen countless students struggle with abstract concepts like DNA replication, transcription, and translation. This year, thanks to your generous donation of art materials, that has completely changed for my students. By providing manipulatives for our DNA and RNA lab, you gave students the ability to see and build molecular processes. Suddenly, the invisible became visible, and abstract concepts became tangible. Students could model base pairing, transcription, and translation step by step, allowing for a deeper understanding than any textbook alone could provide. \r\nYour support has had a profound impact on their learning. Here are just a few of the voices that captured the difference you made: \r\n\"Before this lab, DNA and RNA were just words in a textbook. Using the materials to build and model the processes helped me actually see how everything works. I finally understood base pairing, transcription, and translation because I could do it myself. It made learning more engaging, less confusing, and honestly more fun. I felt like a scientist instead of just a student. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn in a way that really sticks.\" \r\n\"Building DNA and RNA made everything click. I could see how the pieces fit together instead of just memorizing it. Thank you for making science feel fun and real!\" \r\n\"I used to be really confused about transcription and translation, but using the manipulatives helped me understand step by step. I could fix my mistakes and try again. Thank you for helping me finally understand something I thought I couldn't.\" \r\n\"Seeing and building the models helped me visualize something I couldn't picture before. I finally understand how DNA turns into proteins. Thank you for giving us tools that make learning visible.\" \r\n\"After this lab, I feel more confident in biology. I can explain how DNA and RNA work instead of just guessing. Thank you for helping me grow as a student and believe in myself more.\" \r\nImpact Summary \r\n• Improved Comprehension: Hands-on modeling of DNA and RNA allowed students to internalize complex molecular processes. \r\n• Greater Engagement: Students were fully invested in learning, participating actively and asking deeper questions.\r\n• Increased Confidence: Building their own models empowered students to explain concepts with accuracy and pride. \r\n• Lasting Understanding: Manipulatives helped concepts stick, providing a foundation that will serve them in future science courses. \r\nAs a teacher who has spent decades striving to make science come alive, I can say with certainty that your support has transformed the way my students learn and experience biology. Your generosity has turned abstract ideas into visible, hands-on learning that engages minds, sparks curiosity, and builds confidence. Thank you for investing in my students, their learning, and the future of STEM education. \r\n \r\nSincerely, \r\nMrs. Stephanie Fenoy-Ovadia\r\nVeteran Biology Teacher, 25 Years\r\nBaldwin Park High School","fullyFundedDate":1763567002439,"projectUrl":"project/foam-sheets-and-supplies-for-eager-learn/9886669/","projectTitle":"Foam Sheets and Supplies for Eager Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fenoy-Ovadia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9381693_orig.jpg?crop=627,627,x0,y33&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1775871416323","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/fenoyovadia"},{"teacherId":271097,"projectId":9799878,"letterContent":"The students were truly excited to receive the chomp saw. We did a raffle to see who got to unbox it and who would get the first chance to try it out. Enthusiasm was super high that morning.\r\n\r\nSo far we have discovered there is a bit of a learning curve on how to use the tools. So we are going to try some of the suggested activities that came with the Chomp Saw. That way kids can have a better feel for what they can actually do with the tool before applying it to a class project. Cutting out circles and using the angle cut tools required a bit of research on the internet for a video tutorial.\r\n\r\nOverall the kids are excited and I am grateful. I think this is really going to get more kids actively engaged with some of the literature we are covering. I am going to have fun designing some challenging creative and fun assignments centered around the Chomp Saw. The only downside is I'm going to need more that one. But that obstacle is for another day.","fullyFundedDate":1766690463305,"projectUrl":"project/diorama-rama/9799878/","projectTitle":"Diorama-rama","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Humason","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp271097_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1650513701932","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/271097"},{"teacherId":271097,"projectId":9675410,"letterContent":"The students are enjoying the books a great deal. The story is definitely something they can relate to. They like the free verse poetry format and use of contemporary slang. This use of poetry as the text of a novel is new to them; one student stated it was like a riddle. \r\n\r\nFor me, teaching something new and different is fresh air. I love the classics but how many times can one plow through Romeo and Juliet and still show excitement? I enjoyed developing new lessons and graphic organizers.And having new poetry to explore has been just what I needed. \r\n\r\nAnother great feature of this title is that students can read it independently. The language and imagery are accessible to even my struggling readers. And it because of all the imagery it has allowed some of my more creative students a chance to exercise some of their artistic talents.","fullyFundedDate":1758796526731,"projectUrl":"project/its-a-long-way-to-the-top/9675410/","projectTitle":"It's a Long Way to the Top","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Humason","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp271097_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1650513701932","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/271097"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_25101","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1409,"numTeachers":85,"percentFrplEligible":94,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":92,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"16.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":64.1,"schoolId":25101,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Baldwin Park High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Baldwin Park High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/baldwin-park-unified-school-district/baldwin-park-high-school/25101"}

About this school

Baldwin Park High School is a suburban public school in Baldwin Park, California that is part of Baldwin Park Unified School District. It serves 1,409 students in grades 9 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 16.6:1. Its teachers have had 37 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 9 - 12

1,409 Students

85 Teachers

3900 Puente Ave

Baldwin Park, CA 91706 View local requests

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Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Baldwin Park High School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Baldwin Park High School Demographics

94%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

97%

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.

Baldwin Park High School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Apr 30, 2026

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