The last project I posted for Donors Choice was funded in one day thanks to my readers. This one is going to be harder. From Brookland High School in Brookland, AR:

Reading Is a Discount Ticket to Anywhere

I require my students to read four books each grading quarter, and often times the books in our High School Library are above the students’ reading levels or are so dated as to be of little interest to my students. As I build a diverse classroom library that will entice students to read, I would like to expand that by providing books from genres that I know are of high interest to my students: realistic fiction and suspense. Diverse selections of young adult fiction will allow my students to gain confidence in their reading skills as they self-select books that are both interesting to them, as well as varying reading ability levels. Offering such a variety of select titles will encourage students to expand their book choices, and ultimately their love for reading.

Reading provides the frameworks for success in every field. Strong readers will ultimately be strong writers, strong in other subject areas, and strong thinkers. Without reading, a child can expect little success in life, as these skills are needed from everything to reading directions to enjoying a novel. Self-selected literature is the way to garner student interest in reading.

This teacher is putting together a library of paperbacks, pulp fiction that her students will enjoy reading and which will introduce them to a wide variety of perspectives. There are only two days left on this challenge and $520 dollars left to go. That won’t be easy, but I think we can do it.

Yes, I said, “we.” I will match 50% of the donations to this project, up to $150 on my part. That won’t get us quite all the way there, but it will get us very close, making it more likely that other people will also donate to this project.

Beyond my 50% match, the Donors Choose team is also matching contributions for the last few days of the challenge. Donate now, and after Saturday, you’ll receive a Donors Choice gift card to assign to another project of your choosing. Between them and me, your donations will be worth two and a half times what you contribute.

So, please, won’t you help out with even a very small donation right now?

We’re coming up on the end of the Donors Choose challenge. Freethought Blogs as a whole is doing very well, even if my particular challenge isn’t very high in the rankings. I’m okay with that. Students helped are students helped, no matter which blogger deserves the credit.

I would like, however, to see one or two more of these projects fully funded. This one is getting close. From South Elementary School in Kennett, MO:

Science Fair Spectacular

We use the quote “Be the change you want to see in the world,” from Mahatma Gandhi and tweak it a little to say “Be the change you want to see in our school.” Science is a subject that is often overlooked to focus on reading and math. I want to bring a focus to science in our school and share the excitement and wonder that science has to offer. After brainstorming with the class, we agreed that we would love to put on a class Science Fair. With the materials purchased, my students will be able to have a plethora of ideas at their fingertips of ideas for Science Fair projects. The trifold boards will allow the students to display their findings of the projects during the Science Fair. The science project books will inspire them and the medals will reward them. Not only will the students learn more about science through this project, but they will also learn about committing to something and following through to the end, which will be helpful throughout all of their lives. It will be life-changing for my students.

Thank you for taking the time to look at our project! Not only will this project help the students learn more about science, it will also give the students life skills that will stay with them always. This is our only means of funding for this project, so please consider a donation today. My kids deserve it! Thank you!

This project is only $107 dollars from being fully funded. At this point, even small donations can push it over the top. Can you click over and get it just a little closer? It won’t take much to add to that number of students reached in the widget.

Another Donors Choose project has been fully funded, just under the wire, with the help of my readers. From the teacher:

Thank you so much for your donations. This is my very first project on Donors Choose.

I cannot wait to start using these magazines to use current events in our Reading and ELA classes. Most of my students know the latest pop stars or the current sports phenom. With these magazines we will be able to increase their literacy skills while we expand each students knowledge of what is going on in the world.

Thank you again for your support.

With gratitude,
Mr. L

Thank you from me as well.

Now, time to get a few more of these funded.

From Kipp Delta Collegiate High School in Helena, AR:

Delta Wishes

Everyone knows that they have eyes to see and a central processing center for sight and other daily activities. With the sheep brain and eye, each student will be able to get an inside view of how some of the main aspects of the body work. In turn, their understandings of life processes and their curiosities will both be brought to higher levels, developing young scientists every step of the way.

Funding this project will help squash some of the misconceptions young minds pick up from their environment. It will also develop a yearning to know and seek further knowledge. The more students from rural communities learn, the more they can take home to their families to share. In turn, knowledge can push a rural community such as ours to take better care of itself, the people, and the environment.

Amount remaining to be funded: $616

From Coleman Middle School in Greenville, MS:

Making Science Come Alive! (Dissection)

Our worm dissection was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable lessons of last year. The day was not just memorable for me but also for my students; as evidenced by their squeals of delight and their rave reviews in their end of year evaluations. The dissection was almost unanimously named as my students’ favorite activity. I want to give my students another chance to experience hands on science through a frog dissection!

Additionally, with a class set of reusable dissection kits, my students will be able to perform several dissections during their middle school science careers. The dissection kits can be used by all 850 students at our school, grades 6th – 8th. Dissections are a wonderful way to get students excited about science because it is an intriguing way for students to explore organisms on their own; much more engaging than a picture in a textbook!

To see every single one of my kids get the chance to have their hands on their own dissection kit and their own earthworm was such a special experience last May. With enough frogs for each student wishing to make a dissection, they will again be able to explore for themselves the inside of an organism, something they have been begging for since that amazing May day!

Amount remaining to be funded: $342

From Pineywoods Community Academy in Lufkin, TX:

Scientists Need Supplies to Become Sleuths

I am most excited about going over living organisms with these tools, especially the dual microscopes. This past school year, the public school I taught at was lucky enough to go on a field trip to the university plant center.

The staff at the plant center had several buckets of pond water from the ponds in the park. The students were able to scoop out the water, along with some organisms, and observe them using the dual microscopes. They were so excited!! They had a sheet with pictures and names of the organisms they were observing, and they were sharing with each other what they were seeing and why they thought it was a certain organism. I LOVED seeing them like that. This is why I teach. I want to give my kids at this new school the same opportunity.

If I can get them to question, analyze, and justify their thinking then I am helping their lives become better. Giving them opportunities to deepen this kind of thinking is priceless.

Help these dying-to-be-scientists, really become just that— SCIENTISTS. Help them have experiences where they can actually measure something, observe a living organisms straight out of its habitat, and foster analytical thinking. Experiences they will never forget… making you … never forgotten.

Amount remaining to be funded: $528

You heard the teacher. There’s nothing for building a long-lasting interest in the natural world like getting to discover hidden bits of it. Let’s get these kids the tools they need.

One project in my Donors Choose challenge has already been funded with the help of readers. Thank you. From the teacher:

I can’t fully express my joy, excitement, as well as thanks for your donations to my project. It is great to see that so many share in my vision for reaching children. In science, we so often use hands on discovery learning to really get at the heart of the inquiry skill. As we all know, labs are a great way to have students invested in learning. Labs require materials, such as the ones that were funded, in order allow students to investigate and make certain concepts concrete.

Thank you so much for your donations. I can’t wait to introduce these tools to the children. Your donations help to keep science alive!

Did I mention that you get thank you letters from the teachers and project updates (only if you want them)? Let’s work on getting a few more of these funded.

From John James Audubon Elementary School in Kenner, LA:

Creating Thinkers Through Current Events

Both of these magazine subscription give an insight into current events that is written for the age group I teach using language they can understand and great pictures and charts. Both of these magazines also have digital versions to further educate the students on the topics discussed. They both also come with skill building lessons and assessments.

My students have various disabilities that make it harder for them to learn and even be harder at times to motivate them to want to learn. I think with these grade appropriate materials, I can inspire my students to care more about something other than sports stars, rappers or starlets. To be successful in life, truly successful, you need to be able to think critically. These materials will help me to create a learning environment where that can happen.

Only $130 left to be raised for this project and only four days left in the challenge. Let’s get this one done before time runs out!

From Forest Hill High School in Jackson, MS:

Social Studies Classes Staying Connected to Current Events!

Having a class set of Weekly Readers will allow for discussion of current events on a weekly basis as well as an additional opportunity for students to practice their reading and analytical skills. My students would be able to gain a better perspective of what is occurring in their state, country and world.

This project will really help our students stay engaged by allowing them to read about current events and discuss them with their classmates each week! It is so important to educate young minds to consider the world around them, outside of their own neighborhoods and the fulfillment of the project would help us do so. Thank you!!

Amount remaining to be funded: $233

From Astec Charter Middle High School in Oklahoma City, OK:

Founding Fathers Library–Part 2

These books and materials will be of tremendous benefit to the American Government and AP U.S. Government and Politics classes. These books will be a complete classroom set which will allow for independent reading and research of the actual Federalist Papers. Current textbooks do not include the entire set of these historic documents which is vital for effective and advanced instruction. Without your help, these resources will not be available.

Students must have an indepth understanding of the men who founded our country. These books include a much needed classroom set of The Federalist Papers and will be added to an existing Founders Library that is openly available to all students.

Amount remaining to be funded: $434

These kids will grow up to set the direction of the U.S. Even if you don’t live here, you know that their voices will have a disproportionate weight in the world. Help their teachers make sure they’re prepared for the responsibility.

This is the first year I’m on a network that is participating in Donors Choose. I really don’t want to have to do this.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Donors Choose is providing a valuable service. I want these kids to have what they need to get a rich education and discover the joy in learning in a way that old, worn out classrooms and materials will make more difficult. I want them to have things they can touch and play with and sometimes even break because there’s enough to go around. I want their educations to fit them for a modern world in a way their outdated books simply won’t. I want them to have every opportunity to succeed, for themselves and for the society they’ll be creating when they’re grown.

I just don’t want them to have to rely on charity to get it.

We should be funding education and poverty relief such that no teacher ever has to come to us and beg for our help. It isn’t just human and decent and all that, but it’s one of the smartest uses to which we can put our money. Asking most people to be smart, however, is apparently some kind of inhumane imposition. At least Donors Choose is here, and at least there are people like the readers of Freethought Blogs who understand the value of an education.

With that in mind, I didn’t pick local projects for my challenge. If you click on the widget at the top of the right column, you’ll see that I chose projects in red states, most of them highly religious. These kids are some of the most underserved in the nation. Not only are their schools and communities among the most deliberately underfunded, but they also live in a culture that undervalues learning. If we want to change things, this is where we start.

I’ll highlight projects as we go through the month. I’ll add more if we start to run low on choices. I’ll even remind you from time to time that Freethought Blogs is in a competition with some science blogging networks to see who can raise the most money through these challenges. For now, however, I’m just going to ask that you click on that link, find a project that suits your preferences, and help give these kids the education they deserve.