California Area High School in Coal Center, Pennsylvania on DonorsChoose

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Students who were once hesitant to pursue veterinary careers began to see themselves as future technicians, surgeons, and animal care professionals.\r\n\r\nIn our rural community, access to advanced training tools is limited. Your donation bridged that gap. It gave my students the opportunity to develop precision, patience, and professionalism—skills that will serve them in clinics, shelters, and farms across our region. We've even begun integrating suturing into mock emergency scenarios, helping students think critically and act calmly under pressure.","fullyFundedDate":1746785978763,"projectUrl":"project/vet-tech-suturing-101/9081368/","projectTitle":"Vet Tech Suturing 101","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Rastoka","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9908464_orig.jpg?crop=1536,1536,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1737858855775","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9908464"},{"teacherId":9727560,"projectId":8735795,"letterContent":"We are overflowing with gratitude for your generous support of our \"Buttons for Students\" project. Thanks to your kindness, we were able to acquire a button-making machine and the necessary supplies, allowing our students to bring their creative visions to life in a truly tangible way!\r\n\r\nMany of you may be familiar with technology in your daily lives, but perhaps you've wondered how resources like a button-making machine enhance learning and community within our school. This project beautifully illustrated the power of hands-on creation in engaging our students and fostering connections beyond the classroom. They eagerly embraced the process of designing their house-themed buttons by hand, carefully choosing colors, drawing symbols, and writing words that represented their house within our school's house system. This tactile experience fostered their artistic expression and allowed them to develop their fine motor skills in a meaningful context. The button machine then served as the exciting tool that transformed their unique artwork into a durable keepsake.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting aspect of this project for our students was undoubtedly the opportunity to create something truly personal, especially for their families. The overwhelming majority chose to design buttons for their parents, beaming with pride as they carefully considered what would best represent their house and their appreciation. This act of creation became a meaningful bridge between home and school. By creating these buttons for their parents to wear, students are actively inviting their families to show their support and become more involved in our school's vibrant house system. We envision parents proudly displaying these buttons at school events, fostering a greater sense of unity and shared spirit within our community.\r\n\r\nWe also witnessed some students particularly shine through this project. 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About this school

California Area High School is a rural public school in Coal Center, Pennsylvania that is part of California Area School District. It serves 290 students in grades 9 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.5:1. Its teachers have had 5 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 9 - 12

290 Students

20 Teachers

11 Trojan Way

Coal Center, PA 15423 View local requests

http://www.calsd.org

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

California Area High School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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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.

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California Area High School Demographics

85%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

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.

California Area High School 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.