{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Science Leadership Academy Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":34.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":4477801,"projectId":10140299,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the incredible gift of graphic novel literature circle sets for our middle school English classroom. These texts are already making an impact on our students' engagement during the final weeks of the school year. \r\n\r\nWhile graphic novels are often seen as \"easier\" than traditional books, they actually require students to master complex literacy skills that involve analysis. Students learn how visual features such as panels, font style, and color choices convey different meanings. Students also get to practice decoding visual cues because these books require students to \"read\" body language and facial expressions to understand a character's internal thoughts. \r\n\r\nIn our classroom, these books also allow reading to be an active, collaborative process rather than a silent, solitary one. During our Lit Circle sessions, you will see students working in small groups to solve problems and analyze their specific texts, which increases their critical thinking and personal development. We also use a \"Readers Workshop\" model where students may engage in shared reading of a class set or move into small groups to dive deep into different titles. \r\n\r\nThese new sets allow us to provide \"just-right\" books for every learner, and I am seeing particular success with my reluctant readers. The visual nature of these books helps build stamina for students who might be overwhelmed by pages of dense text. Instead they find themselves finishing chapters and gaining the confidence to tackle longer works. \r\n\r\nYour generosity has given us the tools to meet every student exactly where they are. Thank you for being such an important part of our learning community!","fullyFundedDate":1774272625623,"projectUrl":"project/leveling-up-our-library/10140299/","projectTitle":"Leveling Up Our Library","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Duenas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4477801_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y394&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1578334842523","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/duenas"},{"teacherId":4477801,"projectId":9576116,"letterContent":"I want to send a massive thank you for your incredible generosity in providing our students with a class set of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste. This year, 90 students used this text as a primary lens to critically question the roots of racism in America, the widening income gap, and the systemic treatment of immigrants. Seeing them highlight passages and debate Wilkerson's \"eight pillars\" shows me that they aren't just reading a book; they're building a new framework for understanding the world around them.\r\n\r\nYour support has also fueled some incredible creativity. The students used the concepts in Caste to storyboard and produce stop-motion animations centered on \"democracy renovations.\" They literally took the \"old house\" metaphor Wilkerson uses and animated the ways we can repair our social foundations. You've given these young thinkers the tools to analyze the \"bones\" of our society, and for that, we are all incredibly grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1764707984714,"projectUrl":"project/democracy-renovation/9576116/","projectTitle":"Democracy Renovation","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Duenas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4477801_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y394&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1578334842523","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/duenas"},{"teacherId":4900145,"projectId":8999660,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kind and generous donations. My students are so excited to have the new Finches in our classroom. My 7th graders had so much fun learning to program them. They even gave them names! Our first day using them, they held races, had them play music, and programmed them to precisely circumnavigate our lab tables without falling off.\r\n\r\nMy 6th graders cannot wait to get started with them. They are constantly asking when we get to try them out. They will have the joy of experimenting with them tomorrow and I can't wait to see what they can do with them. They are going to LOVE them!\r\n\r\nYour donations helped make this joyful learning possible. I cannot thank you enough for contributing to this project. I hope that some day, some of my students may grow up to be professional roboticists. 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Join the 209 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Science Leadership Academy Middle School is
an urban public school
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is part of Philadelphia City School District.
It serves 353 students
in grades 5 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 70.6:1.
Its teachers have had 40 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
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Science Leadership Academy Middle School Demographics
95%
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
70%
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.
Science Leadership Academy Middle 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.
Science Leadership Academy Middle School
$29,165
raised using DonorsChoose
40
projects
funded
13
teachers
funded
209
donors
11
projects for
technology
16
projects for
books
1
project
for
art supplies
Science Leadership Academy Middle School has received support from
137 individuals from Pennsylvania and
72 individuals out-of-state.
