Welcome to The Inoculation Project! This week, we're trying to help a Texas 5th grade build their own electric circuits, and we’re still working on a lab incubator for a Milwaukee high school’s senior advanced biology students. This is part of our ongoing effort to help fund science and math projects in red-state public schools in low-income neighborhoods.
As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, an organization founded in 2000 and highly rated by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. If you’re short on cash, don’t worry — we’re glad to see you anyway! And your comments and shares are a good free way to help.
Our new main project today takes advantage of matching funds: Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Orkin. By completing this project, you will double the impact of your donation. At Orkin, everything we do is based in science. We learn constantly, and we’re committed to cultivating curiosity and a love of learning in the next generation of scientists.
THIS WEEK’S MAIN PROJECT
Resources: My students need batteries, bulb holders, mini light bulbs, and switches to maximize learning about circuits!
School Poverty Level: Nearly all students from low-income households
Location: Thomas L Marsalis Elementary School, Dallas, Texas
Total: $370.76 (Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Orkin.)
Still Needed: $370.76 $105.24 ($53 from us)
Expires: August 22, 2017
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Crenshaw:
My Students: Our school is located in the heart of South Dallas. Our Marvelous Mustangs are always motivated to succeed! My students are precocious fifth graders who are eager to use to engage and enhance their learning. They are energetic and eager to learn as much as they can! I enjoy thinking of new ways to help them gain critical thinking skills as well as making my classroom as efficient as possible while making sure they have every opportunity to shine as learners!
My Project: As budding scientists, my students love to conduct science lab experiments. I'm constantly looking for ways to enhance lab experiences to maximize student learning and student engagement all while staying budget friendly. As of now I have enough materials to make 6 circuits, which means 5-6 students must share diminishing the impact of this experiment for each student.
Simple materials can add up quickly when you buy materials for an entire class.
Funding for this project means that each of my students will be able to build simple circuits and get the hands on experience they need to master this concept. It's my goal that each student will be able to create their own circuit.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
We’re still working on this long-term project that also takes advantage of matching funds: Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Herb Kohl Philanthropies. We are thrilled to offer this support for Wisconsin’s classrooms because we want our teachers and students to know they are constant sources of inspiration.
LONG-TERM PROJECT: Matching offer!
Resources: My students need an incubator to support independent research projects exploring bacteria, seed germination, cellular processes, and more!
School Poverty Level: More than three-quarters of students from low-income households
Location: Rufus King International High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Total: $586.24 (Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Herb Kohl Philanthropies.)
Still Needed: $391.82 $126.29 ($64 from us)
Expires: September 15, 2017
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Twanow:
My Students: Each fall, my classroom fills to the brim with plant pots, worm bins, fish tanks, petri dishes and more as my students plan and carry out independent research projects.
I teach a talented and awesomely diverse group of senior biology students.
Many of them are preparing for the International Baccalaureate exams at the end of the school year, for which they can earn undergraduate credit, and are also busy with sports, service work, college applications, and after-school jobs. Along the way we take on challenging science content and conduct college-level lab investigations.
My Project: Ideally, the sky is the limit for my senior biology students' independent research projects! But sometimes, our classroom supplies impose limits. While many student scientists are intrigued by culturing bacteria or studying the effect of temperature on seed germination and cell metabolism, our finite incubator space prevents some students from exploring these ideas.
A classroom incubator will support multiple students' unique investigations, and open up new possibilities for senior research projects.
Incubator space will help my students pursue authentic science through their independent investigations. With access to this needed science equipment, more students will be able to answer the biological questions that intrigue them through experimentation and analysis.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Last week, we completed our bonus project, Aquaponics Tank, for a series total of 577! Mrs. Schenkelberg’s Nebraska sixth grade will learn how the fish in the tank help keep the plants on top healthy, and the plants return the favor.
She writes: Thank you so much for funding this project! I am so excited for my students to learn about biology concepts through aquaponics. I foresee the tank as a learning tool, but also as a calming tool. Our class pet experience will be all thanks to you! Thank you so much!
Our Dollars at Work
In May, we helped Mrs. Frank’s Ohio second grade get several kits for science labs with all the materials needed to do some experiments about aspects of Environmental Science, and science journals for them to record their results. The project was All Hands on Deck for Science! (More photos at the link.)
...Since I'm teaching summer school I decided to get it out and try it. We were talking about rocks and got out all the different rocks. Each rock is in its own bag and is labeled. They loved looking at them and seeing how they were the same and different. We went outside and looked for rocks and then matched them up to the ones in the kit.
This kit will be so much fun to use with my full class next year. Thanks for helping to make science fun.
Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project is an effort to combat the anti-science push in conservative America by providing direct funding to science and math projects in traditionally red-state classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, an organization founded in 2000 and highly rated by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. DonorsChoose allows you to contribute to specific, vetted projects in public schools, resulting in tremendous and immediate impacts from small-dollar donations. Here’s an introductory video about DonorsChoose featuring Michelle Obama and Stephen Colbert.
Each Sunday morning, we focus on helping to fund one or two science and math projects in traditionally red-state schools, preferably in highest-poverty districts. We welcome everyone who shares our interest — no money is required! Your tip, rec, republish, comment, or share helps bring us more eyes, and besides, we like the company of others who love kids and education. Feel free to post a link or video, or just tell us how your weather is!
Finally, here’s our list of successfully funded projects. The success-list diary now also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose, formerly found in this space.