{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Valeska Hinton Early Education Center","outOfStateSupporters":32.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9961456,"letterContent":"We have introduced new resources in the classroom, including weighted blankets and cushioned socks, to support our students' comfort and well-being. The children were immediately excited when they saw the materials—first the fruit snacks caught their attention, and then they became especially enthusiastic about the weighted blankets, enjoying the cozy feeling they provide.\r\n\r\nAs we continue our current project, Cozy Blankets, Snacks, and Care Items for Preschoolers to Thrive, the next steps for your students include exploring how these materials support self-regulation and comfort, participating in guided activities with the blankets and socks, and reflecting on how small care items can make a big difference in daily routines. This project encourages both hands-on engagement and thoughtful discussion about taking care of themselves and others.","fullyFundedDate":1765984682435,"projectUrl":"project/cozy-blankets-snacks-and-care-items-fo/9961456/","projectTitle":"Cozy Blankets, Snacks, and Care Items for Preschoolers to Thrive","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":5542804,"projectId":9930019,"letterContent":"I first and foremost want to send my deepest appreciation to all who have made this project possible for our student's and classroom! \r\n I want to share that all of these supplies will contribute to their learning throughout the rest of the school year! We will get to use our flexible seating during our morning group time. We will use our cleaning and sanitation supplies to keep our immunity healthy and continue to attend school! We will use our writing materials to create art in our centers and during the time we begin our projects. \r\n We appreciate you!","fullyFundedDate":1765983985407,"projectUrl":"project/supplies-for-a-cause/9930019/","projectTitle":"Supplies for a Cause","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nunez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5542804_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764492919006","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-nunez-specialeducation-teacher"},{"teacherId":6403789,"projectId":9418374,"letterContent":"Thankyou so much for helping my students. I love seeing them explore and learn using their new toys. I love seeing their laughs and smiles as they get so excited to see their toys pop and spin! These new cause-and-effect toys are helping my students focus and learn. They are using communication and learning valuable vocabulary as they play with their toys. Thankyou so much for contributing to our classroom thus making these learning experiences possible for my students. Their families and our entire teaching/therapy team are grateful to you.","fullyFundedDate":1758835357249,"projectUrl":"project/come-play-with-me-engaging-cause-and-ef/9418374/","projectTitle":"Come Play With Me! Engaging Cause-and-Effect Activities for Preschoolers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ramsey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6403789_orig.jpg?crop=2243,2243,x0,y171&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674942935926","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6403789"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9897546,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting Unlocking Wonder: Giving Children the Chance to Explore STEM. My students were absolutely thrilled when they first saw the colorful pompoms and Skittles, their excitement and curiosity were contagious!\r\n\r\nWe are currently using these new resources during center time, particularly in the art and math centers, where students are exploring patterns, counting, sorting, and creative design.\r\n\r\nThe next step in our classroom project is for students to design and create an additional hands-on project using these materials. This will encourage problem-solving, collaboration, and deeper STEM exploration as they apply what they've already learned in new and meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nThank you again for helping make engaging, exploratory learning experiences possible for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1764738463962,"projectUrl":"project/unlocking-wonder-giving-children-the-ch/9897546/","projectTitle":"Unlocking Wonder: Giving Children the Chance to Explore STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9926358,"letterContent":"The STEM Visual Schedule Tools for Success project has had a positive impact on my students' learning and engagement. These tools have helped create a more structured, predictable environment, allowing students to better understand expectations and transitions throughout the day.\r\n\r\nWe are using the new resources daily during our STEM lessons and classroom routines. The visual schedules and photos provide clear, concrete supports that help students stay focused, independent, and confident as they move from one activity to the next.\r\n\r\nMy students were very excited when they first saw the visual photos. Seeing real images that reflect their classroom and activities immediately captured their attention and increased their motivation to participate.\r\n\r\nThe next steps for my students in our current classroom lessons are to use the visual schedules more independently, sequence STEM activities using the visuals, and make connections between the steps shown and the hands-on tasks they are completing. These tools will continue to support problem-solving, communication, and successful participation in STEM learning experiences.","fullyFundedDate":1764738464173,"projectUrl":"project/stem-visual-schedule-tools-for-success/9926358/","projectTitle":"STEM Visual Schedule Tools for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9931284,"letterContent":"The students are using the new resources to create their own snowmen. They are engaging with the materials by exploring shapes, sizes, and placement as they design their snowmen, which supports creativity and fine motor development.\r\n\r\nThe students were very excited when they saw the book. They eagerly participated in discussions, asked questions, and made connections between the story and their own ideas, demonstrating strong interest and engagement in the lesson.\r\n\r\nThe next steps for the students in this lesson will be to build a snowman using marshmallows and toothpicks. This hands-on activity will allow students to strengthen fine motor skills, practice problem-solving, and reinforce learning through creative construction.","fullyFundedDate":1764738463422,"projectUrl":"project/family-snowman-storytime-with-sneezy/9931284/","projectTitle":"Family Snowman Storytime with Sneezy","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9916024,"letterContent":"Thank you to our generous donors for your support of the STEM Fun with Llama Llama Red Pajama project. Your kindness has made it possible to bring learning to life in a fun, engaging, and meaningful way for our preschool students. Because of you, children are experiencing the joy of discovery while building early STEM skills through hands-on activities connected to a story they love.\r\n\r\nThrough this project, students are exploring science, technology, engineering, and math concepts in age-appropriate ways—measuring, counting, building, problem-solving, and making predictions—all while strengthening literacy and social-emotional skills. The familiar story of Llama Llama Red Pajama helped create a safe and comforting foundation for learning, allowing children to engage, ask questions, and collaborate with confidence.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made a lasting impact on our classroom and our families. You are helping to spark curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning at an early age—gifts that will continue to grow long after this project ends. We are truly grateful for your belief in our students and for investing in their bright futures.","fullyFundedDate":1764600403216,"projectUrl":"project/stem-fun-with-llamas-wear-red-pajamas/9916024/","projectTitle":"STEM Fun with “Llamas Wear Red Pajamas”","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9926199,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support of STEM for Success: Potty Training Through Science, Exploration, and Routine, my students are discovering new ways to learn and grow every day. We are using the materials to explore our bodies, practice routines, and make learning about potty training fun through hands-on science experiments and sensory activities. For example, the color-changing cups and visual timers help children see cause and effect in action, while the storybooks, charts, and reward tools guide them through daily routines with excitement and curiosity. These materials have truly brought learning to life in our classroom.\r\n\r\nThe children's reactions were priceless when they first saw the new materials. Eyes lit up, smiles spread across their faces, and many rushed to try the activities right away. One student proudly demonstrated using the visual timer to know when it was time for the potty, while others eagerly helped set up the experiments or celebrated each other's successes. It has been so heartwarming to watch them explore, experiment, and gain confidence as they take small but meaningful steps toward independence.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we will continue using these tools to build routines, track progress with visual graphs, and encourage self-monitoring skills and proper hygiene. Each day, students grow a little more confident, proud, and independent, and it's exciting to see them connect science to real-life routines in a way that truly matters. Your support has made a lasting impact, helping children feel successful while making learning fun and hands-on. We are deeply grateful for the difference you've made in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1764738463744,"projectUrl":"project/stem-for-success-potty-training-through/9926199/","projectTitle":"STEM for Success: Potty Training Through Science, Exploration, and Routine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":4693381,"projectId":9533688,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous donations. My students have enjoyed exploring and learning with the materials from this project. They especially love the putty play sets, treasure game, and the snack machine. All the items have been a big hit! They have also benefitted from a calmer space through the use of light covers that help dim the light slightly to provide a more calming environment. \r\n\r\nStudents have been learning about numbers , letter, colors, and sorting through the snack vending machine. The items in this toy are ones that can be sorted and student work to identify and label colors and shapes to pick which snack item they want to get out of the machine. They have been working on counting out tokens to fill up treasure chests in the treasure game and on fine motor skills of turning the keys to open the boxes when full to find a surprise. Students have been strengthening their fingers to find hidden items in the putty and working on identifying and labeling vocabulary while doing so. When playing with the bird toy they have been working on matching colors, identifying numbers and describing emotions as each birds face has a different emotional expression. They have enjoyed acting out getting on and off the bus while using core words such as in, out, on, off, stop, and go while playing with the Fisher Price school bus. The snack tray has been used to hide and find items in play and they have enjoyed opening the doors to see what is inside as well as matching items inside with pictures on the doors. Students have also enjoyed feeding a puppet the foods from the mini A-Z food set. \r\n\r\nThe students and I greatly appreciate your help in making this project a reality. Each item on this project was chosen to teach my students different skills and to help them expand their language in the classroom and I have seen them explore and enjoy learning through new activities.","fullyFundedDate":1761248360072,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-language-learning/9533688/","projectTitle":"Hands on Language Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nauman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4693381_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1503520297617","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4693381"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9796738,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my Potty Training for Preschool Success project! Because of your generosity, we were able to purchase potty watch timers, child-friendly potty seats, and engaging potty training books that make learning both fun and encouraging for my little learners.\r\n\r\nThese materials are already making a difference. The potty watches help students build independence and routine, while the books give them confidence by teaching skills in a playful, relatable way. The potty seats provide safety and comfort so they can practice with less anxiety and more success.\r\n\r\nYour kindness truly helps my students grow in confidence, independence, and school readiness. Thank you for believing in our classroom and making these early milestones a positive experience for all.","fullyFundedDate":1763569901428,"projectUrl":"project/potty-training-with-purpose-building-in/9796738/","projectTitle":"Potty Training with Purpose: Building Independence and Confidence","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9880618,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting my Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Building Early Reading and STEM Skills project. Your generosity helps my preschoolers build essential early literacy skills while exploring hands-on STEM activities that spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence. Because of you, my students will enjoy engaging learning experiences that strengthen their love for reading and discovery.\r\n\r\nI truly appreciate your kindness and commitment to helping young learners grow.\r\n\r\nThank you again for making a meaningful difference!","fullyFundedDate":1763569977573,"projectUrl":"project/brown-bear-brown-bear-building-early-r/9880618/","projectTitle":"Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Building Early Reading and STEM Skills","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"},{"teacherId":9845309,"projectId":9879375,"letterContent":"Learning about Garrett Morgan through hands-on experiences with stoplights, flashlights, and art has a powerful impact on my students. By exploring his innovations in a concrete and engaging way, students begin to understand how creativity and problem-solving can make communities safer and better. The stoplight activities help them recognize the importance of rules, safety, and responsibility, while flashlight experiments spark curiosity about inventions and how everyday tools work. Through art, students express their learning visually, making meaningful connections to history, STEM, and their own ability to create. These combined experiences deepen their appreciation for an important Black inventor and inspire them to imagine themselves as future thinkers, helpers, and innovators.","fullyFundedDate":1763570084791,"projectUrl":"project/learning-about-garrett-morgan-through-st/9879375/","projectTitle":"Learning About Garrett Morgan Through Stoplights, Flashlights, and Art","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams-Hangen’s Sharing Circle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9845309_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760462269588","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9845309"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_30197","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":500,"numTeachers":23,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":57,"percentWhite":19,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":12,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 1","studentTeacherRatio":"21.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":67.2,"schoolId":30197,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Valeska Hinton Early Education Center on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Valeska Hinton Early Education Center","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/peoria-public-school-district-150/valeska-hinton-childhood-education-ctr/30197"}