{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sousa Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":65.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3899270,"projectId":8366485,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting my \"Watch It Grow\" classroom project! Your generosity gave my middle school students the opportunity to learn through hands-on gardening experiences. With the gardening supplies, students were able to move beyond simply reading about plants and ecosystems and actually experience the process of planting, caring for, and watching something grow. For many of my students, this was an exciting opportunity to get their hands in the soil, take responsibility for living things, and see how their daily efforts could lead to something tangible.\r\n\r\nThe students were excited to have materials that made the learning feel real. Gardening provided opportunities to practice patience, responsibility, observation, and teamwork while connecting classroom learning to the world around them. Rather than learning about growth only from a textbook, students could observe changes over time and ask questions about what plants needed to survive and thrive.\r\n\r\nAlthough I eventually moved to another school, I was intentional about leaving the gardening supplies behind so that other students could continue benefiting from the project. I am grateful that your support made it possible to create a resource that could extend beyond my own classroom and continue encouraging students to explore, experiment, and—most importantly—watch their learning grow. Thank you for investing in my students and in the power of hands-on learning!","fullyFundedDate":1716559342616,"projectUrl":"project/watch-it-grow/8366485/","projectTitle":"Watch It Grow!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gross","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3899270_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y347&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1644955968359","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/latashagross"},{"teacherId":4249628,"projectId":10026632,"letterContent":"On behalf of our students, families, and school community, thank you for your generous support of \"Empowering Student Voices Through Podcasting and STEM Innovation.\" Your contribution has provided students with meaningful opportunities to develop critical communication, technology, and problem-solving skills while exploring innovative STEM and media production experiences. Because of your generosity, students are gaining access to tools and resources that allow them to transform their ideas into powerful stories and authentic learning experiences.\r\nYour donation has had a tremendous impact on our Career and Technical Education program as students prepare for the upcoming Technology Student Association (TSA) State Conference and the highly competitive Audio Podcasting event. This year's TSA theme, \"Breaking News from the Future,\" has inspired students to think creatively while applying STEM concepts, research skills, and digital media production techniques. Students are challenged to imagine future innovations, societal changes, scientific discoveries, and emerging technologies, then communicate their ideas through engaging and professional-quality podcast episodes.\r\nThe resources funded through this project have allowed students to experience the complete podcasting production process. They are learning how to brainstorm ideas, conduct research, write scripts, collaborate with peers, and record compelling audio segments. Students are also developing technical skills in sound editing, audio engineering, and digital storytelling. These experiences mirror real-world career pathways in broadcasting, journalism, communications, engineering, and technology.\r\nAs students work on their TSA podcast projects, they are embracing the role of future-focused journalists and innovators. Thank you for your contribution to our future leaders.","fullyFundedDate":1776292907070,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-student-voices-through-podcas/10026632/","projectTitle":"Empowering Student Voices Through Podcasting and STEM Innovation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Butler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4249628_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1787145479111","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missbeemath"},{"teacherId":3443091,"projectId":10178826,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my students and our classroom! Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in the way my students learn, explore, and engage with their education. Having access to technology allows my students to go beyond the traditional textbook and experience learning in a more interactive and hands-on way. Students can use technology to research, practice skills, access learning supports, complete assignments, and demonstrate what they know in ways that work best for them.\r\n\r\nWhat excites my students most is having the opportunity to use technology independently and see themselves as capable learners. My students especially enjoy activities that allow them to explore new ideas, receive immediate feedback, and take ownership of their learning. For students who sometimes struggle with confidence, technology has become another way for them to participate, practice, and experience success. I have seen students become more willing to try, ask questions, and persevere when they have these tools available to them.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, my students have more opportunities to learn, create, and grow. Your support is not simply providing technology—it is helping provide access, confidence, and opportunities that can make a lasting difference in the classroom. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in my students and investing in their future!","fullyFundedDate":1778047886132,"projectUrl":"project/becoming-a-scientist-in-real-time/10178826/","projectTitle":"Becoming A Scientist in \"Real Time\"!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Summers","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3443091_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724941052536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3443091"},{"teacherId":9339247,"projectId":9287159,"letterContent":"Math-related books have had a significant positive impact on my classroom environment and student learning experiences. Incorporating literature that connects mathematical concepts to real-world situations has helped make math more engaging, meaningful, and accessible for all students.\r\n\r\nThese books support students by building confidence and reducing anxiety around mathematics. Many students who may struggle with traditional instruction become more interested and motivated when concepts are introduced through stories, visuals, and relatable examples. Math literature encourages students to see mathematics not just as numbers and equations, but as a valuable part of everyday life.\r\n\r\nIn my classroom, math-related books promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and mathematical discussions among students. They help strengthen vocabulary, improve reading comprehension, and support cross-curricular learning by combining literacy and mathematics instruction. Students are able to make deeper connections between concepts while developing communication skills as they explain their thinking and reasoning.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, these books create opportunities for differentiated instruction. Visual learners, reluctant readers, and students with varying academic abilities benefit from the interactive and engaging nature of math literature. The use of stories and hands-on activities connected to the books increases participation and helps students retain mathematical concepts more effectively.\r\n\r\nOverall, math-related books positively impact student achievement, engagement, and confidence in mathematics. They help foster a classroom culture where students are excited to learn, willing to take risks, and able to see themselves as capable mathematicians.","fullyFundedDate":1750641524152,"projectUrl":"project/math-plus-readings-equals-strong-educati/9287159/","projectTitle":"Math Plus Readings Equals Strong Education!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tatum","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9339247_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1734656241252","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9339247"},{"teacherId":5298463,"projectId":10106413,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project and helping provide essential classroom materials for our students. Because of your generosity, our classroom is better equipped with the tools students need to learn effectively, stay organized, and feel supported every day for the remainder of the year.\r\nClassroom essentials may seem small, but they make a big difference. These materials help create a safe, welcoming learning environment where students can focus, participate confidently, and engage fully in their work. For many of my students, having consistent access to these supplies removes barriers and allows them to show their true abilities.\r\nYour support shows our students that people beyond their classroom care about their education and believe in their success. Thank you for investing in their learning and helping make our classroom a place where all students can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1774978866915,"projectUrl":"project/stocking-essentials-for-success/10106413/","projectTitle":"Stocking Essentials for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Whren","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5298463_orig.jpg?crop=648,648,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708631939828","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-whren"},{"teacherId":5298463,"projectId":9908012,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our Matilda Jr. production. Because of your kindness, our students have access to the materials and resources they need to bring this show to life. Your donation directly supports creativity, collaboration, confidence, and joy—skills that extend far beyond the stage.\r\nMany of our students are experiencing theater for the very first time. Through Matilda Jr., they're learning how to work as a team, express themselves, problem‑solve, and take pride in their hard work. Seeing their excitement as rehearsals come together has been incredibly rewarding, and it would not be possible without you.\r\nYour belief in our students sends a powerful message: their voices matter, their stories are worth telling, and their talents deserve to be nurtured. Thank you for investing in their growth, creativity, and confidence. We are deeply grateful for your support and for making this unforgettable experience possible.","fullyFundedDate":1771033152202,"projectUrl":"project/building-creative-confidence-through-art/9908012/","projectTitle":"Building Creative Confidence Through Art and the Musical, Matilda Jr.","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Whren","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5298463_orig.jpg?crop=648,648,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708631939828","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-whren"},{"teacherId":10182972,"projectId":9918482,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to materials that truly support how they learn best. In our classroom, many of my students receive special education services, and having hands-on, engaging resources makes a huge difference in their ability to understand and connect with what we are learning.\r\n\r\nWe have been using these materials during our literacy and math blocks to support small group instruction. For example, during reading lessons, students use the materials to practice identifying the main idea of a story and supporting details. Instead of just reading from a worksheet, they are able to interact with the content, talk through their thinking, and physically organize ideas. One of my favorite moments was watching a student who usually struggles with reading proudly explain the main idea of a story to their group using the new resources. That confidence is exactly what we hope to build.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, their reactions were immediate. Many of them said things like \"Are these really for our class?\" and \"We get to use these?\" They were excited to explore everything and eager to start using them during lessons. It made the classroom feel fresh and motivating for them.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, we will continue using these materials to strengthen reading comprehension, writing, and problem-solving skills. Our next step is applying these tools to help students write short responses and explain their thinking more clearly, especially when summarizing stories or solving math problems. The goal is for students to become more independent learners who feel confident sharing their ideas.\r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting our classroom and believing in our students. Your generosity is helping create meaningful learning moments every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1764693001525,"projectUrl":"project/back-from-break-strong/9918482/","projectTitle":"Back from Break Strong!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Franklin IV","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10182972_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755374016643","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10182972"},{"teacherId":8225659,"projectId":7941790,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! Because of your kindness, each of our students now has access to high‑quality headphones that make a world of difference in their daily learning. These headphones allow students to fully engage in our virtual traveling field trips—an experience that opens doors to places, cultures, and ideas far beyond our classroom walls.\r\n\r\nAlready, students are exploring new environments with excitement and confidence. With fewer distractions and clearer audio, they're able to dive deeply into lessons, ask richer questions, and share their discoveries with one another. Your generosity has empowered them to learn in immersive, meaningful ways that spark curiosity and build global awareness.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your belief in our students and their potential. Thank you for helping us bring the world to them.\r\nWarmly,","fullyFundedDate":1702257500830,"projectUrl":"project/world-travelers-need-your-help-to-explor/7941790/","projectTitle":"World Travelers Need Your Help to Explore the Past!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jackson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8225659"},{"teacherId":5298463,"projectId":9722408,"letterContent":"Our students have been growing this school year, and your generosity has played a major role in that success. The new books, games, the couch, and instructional resources you helped provide are doing far more than filling shelves and seats—they are aiding students with reading with purpose, confidence, and joy. Through these texts, games, resources, and especially the couch, students are practicing essential ELA skills such as drawing inferences, analyzing characters, identifying themes, annotating for meaning, and using textual evidence to support their thinking. Every day, reading in our classroom looks like rich discussion, visible thinking, and engaged learners who annotate, question, and debate ideas as they move through each chapter. The materials you helped fund have become anchors for lessons in metacognition, stamina-building, and authentic comprehension—not just \"reading the words,\" but truly understanding them.\r\nYour impact is especially visible in our mid‑year MAP growth. From the beginning of the year to mid‑year, our 7th graders made meaningful gains across every performance band. We saw a 3% decrease in students in the lowest percentile range and increases across all higher bands, including a 7% increase in students moving into the 41st–60th percentile and a 10% increase in students performing in the 61st–80th percentile. Many students who started the year struggling are now reading with greater confidence, finishing books they once found intimidating, and joining classroom discussions with pride. Several of our multilingual learners, in particular, are devouring the new high‑interest titles—often asking to borrow books to read at home or recommending them to their peers.\r\nThis kind of growth doesn't happen by accident. It reflects intentional, student‑centered work supported by your donations—students having access to relevant, engaging texts, games, and resources that make them feel seen, capable, and excited to learn. While our long‑term goal is for 65% of students to meet or exceed their annual MAP growth target by June 2026, the progress so far shows we are firmly on the right path. Thank you for believing in our students, investing in their literacy journey, and helping us create a classroom where strong reading habits—and strong readers—can flourish. Your support is truly making a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1762041603607,"projectUrl":"project/read-play-rise/9722408/","projectTitle":"Read. Play. Rise.","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Whren","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5298463_orig.jpg?crop=648,648,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708631939828","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-whren"},{"teacherId":3443091,"projectId":9602426,"letterContent":"Our sixth-grade students are incredibly grateful for the generous support you have shown our classroom. Because of your donations, our students now have access to resources that truly enhance their learning experience and build their confidence each day.\r\n\r\nWe are using the new materials during small-group instruction, collaborative projects, and independent practice. One powerful moment occurred during a recent math lesson on ratios and expressions. Students who typically hesitate to participate were eager to engage because they had hands-on tools to support their thinking. The resources allowed them to visually model their work, discuss strategies with peers, and explain their reasoning with greater confidence. It was inspiring to see students take ownership of their learning.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the excitement was immediate. Students smiled, asked thoughtful questions, and several even said, \"These are for us?\" They felt seen and valued. Having access to high-quality resources reinforced that others believe in their success.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, students will continue using these tools to deepen their understanding of grade-level standards, strengthen problem-solving skills, and prepare for upcoming assessments and project-based learning activities. Our next steps include a collaborative math project where students will apply their learning to real-world scenarios, using the new materials to research, calculate, and present their findings.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has created more than just access to supplies — it has created motivation, engagement, and a renewed sense of pride in our classroom community. Thank you for investing in our students and their future.","fullyFundedDate":1766420231637,"projectUrl":"project/we-want-to-learn-in-a-clean-classroom/9602426/","projectTitle":"We Want to Learn in a Clean Classroom!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Summers","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3443091_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724941052536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3443091"},{"teacherId":8274850,"projectId":9347952,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our students are experiencing learning in a new and inspiring way. Your donation has allowed us to bring educational gaming into the classroom—transforming lessons into hands‑on, minds‑on experiences that spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and build essential skills for the future.\r\nThrough game‑based learning, students who once struggled to stay engaged are now problem‑solving, strategizing, collaborating, and celebrating their accomplishments. They are applying math to real‑time challenges, exploring science through simulations, strengthening literacy through interactive stories, and developing perseverance as they work through complex levels and tasks. Learning feels less like a requirement and more like an adventure.","fullyFundedDate":1747879375045,"projectUrl":"project/steam-away-through-gaming/9347952/","projectTitle":"STEAM Away Through Gaming","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cobb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8274850_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x162,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1672849846771","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8274850"},{"teacherId":8654975,"projectId":9662604,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project focused on positive student behavior. Your generosity has helped us create meaningful incentives that encourage students to make positive choices each day.\r\n\r\nThrough our behavior tracker system, students who ended the week with more positive marks than negative ones earned a special trip to the PBIS room. This opportunity has been incredibly motivating and has helped students take ownership of their actions while building a more positive classroom environment.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your contribution and the difference it is making in our students lives.","fullyFundedDate":1756946639580,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-positive-behavior-with-gatorade/9662604/","projectTitle":"Fueling Positive Behavior with Gatorade Rewards!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cousar","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8654975"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_24150","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":200,"numTeachers":23,"percentFrplEligible":74,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":90,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":8,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"8.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":34.7,"schoolId":24150,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sousa Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sousa Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/district-of-columbia/dc-public-schools/sousa-middle-school/24150"}