Donors Choose – Matching Dollars, Today and Tomorrow Only!

Today’s the Rapture Mk. III. What do you need your money for, if you’re going to be bodily swept away to heaven? Leave it to a good cause! For instance, the various causes I’ve added to my Donors Choose challenge. And today and tomorrow only, the good people in charge of the Science Blogs Challenge are matching all donations. That’s right — until Saturday at midnight EST, your dollars will have double impact.

It seems other bloggers have offered real things as incentive, rather than intangibles like the title of “Honorary Canadian”. I don’t have much I could offer you kind folks, though. I mean, I’ve got a dead computer power supply with bad capacitors… some old grocery receipts and other various scraps of paper. Oh, I DO have a can of Campbell’s harvest minestrone with real parmesan(!!), with reduced sodium. I suppose if people really really want the can of soup, I could skip lunch today, if it means some kids in significantly underprivileged areas have a chance to learn how amazing our world is. Would you offer your donations in exchange for a can of soup?

First, a few updates. The Scientific Fun is Scientastic project is fully funded, HOORAY! And the Native Games project is within striking distance — only $45 to go! Checkmate needs $178 still. Think you can help these kids learn logic and math via chess?

Some other projects that are definitely worth funding that are on my list:

Making Astronomy Hands-On Learning (needs $692):

My students are eager learners, but have started life at a disadvantage. Our school has around 450 students (K-5), with about a 90% poverty rate. My students come in with worries they should not be concerned with yet.
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With these donations, we will be purchasing 3 telescopes (so all of the fifth grade classes can have their own), 3 class sets of star maps for all students to use (to be reused every year), a hands-on science kit (for each classroom) that looks at our Earth in many details, and two sets of visuals (for each classroom) to help bring astronomy to life in the classroom.

Stanley Cup Hockey Tournament (needs $116):

This school has a culturally diverse group of students from over 30 different countries ranging from Pre K – 6th. Our school has 90% free or reduced lunch.
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These students are great kids with wonderful imaginations, however, their lack of involvement with many activities other than soccer, football and basketball gives them a narrow point of view. Playing hockey, a sport averse to their cultural influence, will develop a more well-rounded foundation of activities they may choose to participate in in the future. We plan to have a hockey tournament to culminate.

Students will have proper equipment to facilitate a fun and exciting learning experience. Students will continue to develop their fine and gross motor skills which are paramount in their development as children. They will learn the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

Looking at the World A Little Closer (needs $116):

The science lab at our schools serves a vast variety of students, approximately 650 students, grades 1st -5th.. We have students from all different backgrounds and we need to instill in them a love of science. Research shows that the majority of jobs that will be available to students over the next 10-15 years are in the areas of science and technology.
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We are requesting funds for a Ken-a-vision USB portable microscope. With this microscope students will be able to take their learning outside the classroom. Students will be able to transport this microscope to the field to view live, microscopic organisms and bacteria. Students will then be able to capture pictures of what they viewed, and share those findings with other students. This will enable students to view live slides as compared to those pre-made slides.

Science Supplies to Engage and Amaze (needs $579):

My school is a challenging inner city middle school in Northwest Philadelphia. We have traditionally done poorly on the science state testing, but I am looking to change that this year. My students are 90% below the poverty line, and many come from broken homes. I have seen the power of a good science education to give them critical thinking skills and make them interested in academics, but I need your help to make my class more engaging.
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Many of the supplies I have available are great, but I lack two major components to good science labs: safety equipment and measuring tools! Too often I have to do labs as demonstrations for lack of appropriate materials, and the students are not as engaged, nor do they make that hands on connection that is so crucial.

I want to make this year the year that our students make large and lasting gains in their science understanding, and I can only do that with successful labs. With these materials, students will be able to get their “hands dirty” in a way I could not let them before, but they have so often demanded!

Microscopes, telescopes and star charts, hockey sticks, and lab safety equipment. Stuff students should be expected to have as a matter of course, not as a matter of privilege. Fix this imbalance, dear readers. Please. For the kids.

And if you really want that can of soup, message me privately via the email link on the right. I’m completely serious.

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Donors Choose – Matching Dollars, Today and Tomorrow Only!
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2 thoughts on “Donors Choose – Matching Dollars, Today and Tomorrow Only!

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    Wow, very nice! John just fully funded the hockey project for the required $116. Let me know if you want that can of soup, John.

    I also want to thank Steve, Janet, Annick, Jordan and Cathy (twice!). Your contributions warm my heart.

    jolo: I’m afraid Donors Choose doesn’t have any Canadian projects. It’s an American-only venture. There are 15 projects that mention Canada, a number in slightly derisive ways (e.g. students asking “is Canada a state?”). One is in Little Canada, Minnesota, and one is in La Canada, California. Those are the closest I could give you.

    I will try to make more of an effort to point my fellow Canucks to worthy Canadian charities in the future, though. Sorry that it’s so Americentric around these parts.

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