This week, we're helping to provide hands-on materials for environmental science classes in Atlanta public schools as part of our ongoing effort to help fund science and math projects 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.
Our first environmental science project this week will help 3rd- to 5th-graders to create and study a flower garden that will attract pollinators at an urban Atlanta school. Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from the Tom’s of Maine Green Your School Fund.
MAIN PROJECT
Resources: My students need a butterfly habitat, bird feeder, beehive, flower seeds, soil, water cans, pots, etc. for pollination of plants, production of crops, and the sustainability of bees, birds, and butterflies.
School Poverty Level: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Towns Elementary School, Atlanta, Georgia
Total: $576.55 (matching funds from Tom’s of Maine)
Still Needed: $506.55 Completed! Please consider long-term project below.
Expires: October 12, 2017
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Johnson:
My Students: The Tiger students are unique because they learn daily from a curriculum that is S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) based. In spite being taught from what most people would call a rigorous elementary curriculum, these students are eager to take on just about any challenge. Imagine beating the odds daily as you arrive to school somewhat late but expected to learn minus being hungry, sleepy, and emotionally challenged. These at-risk scholars are determined and they fight daily to make their life dreams a reality.
Based on my students' drive to excel and beat the odds, they have been termed 21st Century STEM (scholarly, talented, energetic, and magnanimous) scholars.
The school and community have instilled in each of our scholars a hunger and desire to excel unlike those before them. These scholars are aware that they must excel through their education and therefore become a beacon of a new life of change. As high as the expectations are, these STEM scholars must set precedence to not only their families but to the community that educational failure is not an option for the future generation of STEM scholars.
My Project: Just like Tom’s of Maine, it is our school mission to take care of the planet through teaching environmental science to the next generation. In doing so, we are training future S.T.E.M. scientists and environmental conscious students how to respect and become environmentally aware human beings. Through receiving grant funding, this project will teach students about environmental science through completing hands-on projects. Students will create a flower garden that sustains pollination from bees, birds, and butterflies. Students will learn the role of pollination as being significant in the production of food, the health of flowering plants, and the future of wildlife.
Students’ lives will differ as they take on an active and responsible role of developing a garden that helps to increase the number of health pollinators through decreasing the threat of integrity to the biodiversity, to the global food webs, and human health.
Students’ will learn that aiding in the simple act of creating a pollination garden is beneficial in sustaining life as we now know it. As students participate in the hands-on act of developing a pollination garden they will have real-world experiences that substantiate the values of environmental science. Additionally, students will transfer classroom experience of learning about pollination and the role pollination plays on their today and tomorrow through developing an environmental artifact (pollination garden).
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Our new long-term project will help a never-before-funded elementary school teacher to teach life cycles and other science concepts. Donations to this project are also being matched, thanks again to support from the Tom’s of Maine Green Your School Fund.
LONG-TERM PROJECT
Resources: My students need science experiment and activity tubs (all aligned to curriculum), a butterfly demo set (with live caterpillars and food), a visual desktop hydroponics set, and life cycle stages modeling sets.
School Poverty Level: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Charles L Gideons Elementary School, Atlanta, Georgia
Total: $544.49 (matching funds from Tom’s of Maine)
Still Needed: $544.49 $288.32 ($145 from us)
Expires: November 11, 2017
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Cotton:
My Students: Where would Einstein be without his equipment?
My students are extremely inquisitive and brilliant, but often suffer when we do not have the supplies available to fully explore their interests.
It is so important to affirm them by meeting their needs with the appropriate tools to aid their learning.
My students are already so interested in the information that I am presenting to them, but they need materials for hands-on activities and experiments in order to conceptualize and synthesize the information. As a group, they excel most when allowed to "do." They are enthusiastic about science and eager to begin applying their knowledge to experiments and projects.
My Project: My students learn best through hands-on engagement with the science curriculum. The experiment and activity tubs will allow my students to do just this, without the pressure of relying on scarce school resources. Each experiment and activity tub includes all the supplies for the exploration of most our major science content: matter, forces, stars, and space.
One huge piece of our content is life cycles, and I've requested a desktop hydroponics set, a live butterfly growth system, and various life cycle modeling sets.
The hydroponics set will allow my students to observe the plants, without the soil. This set, along with the butterfly growth system, will allow my students to explore life cycles in a real and relevant way.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
For those who would like to direct donations to schools in Texas and Louisiana that were devastated by Harvey, DonorsChoose has a special fund, 100% of which will be used for classroom projects from storm-impacted schools. You can read more, and donate, at the link above. Thus far, they’ve completed 59 projects, and they’re working on 42 additional projects. Donations to this fund have exceeded $700,000.
Thank you notes from last week’s projects:
I would like to thank the generous donors for enabling our students to learn and and engauge in science fair. I personally feel that student's learn best from hands on activities require critical thinking and ingenuity. I cannot wait to tell the students the news that their materials are on the way. Thank you so much for your help and generoisity.
With gratitude,
Mr. Kietlinski
Man, I am really sitting here on my bed crying at the fact that you and a few others have returned to my project to donate once again. Thank you does not seem to convey my feelings towards you and the other supporters. This year is going to be awesome! OMG my babies have no idea what I have in store for them. I strive to be the best at anything I attempt and teaching is someting I pour my heart and soul into. I love what I do and I love who I do it for. To live in your purpose is an amazing feeling and never would I have thought this would be possible. I am moved and tremendously thankful. Welcome to Team Collins!
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 that 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 two science and math projects in red states, preferably in neighborhood public schools where half or more of students are from low-income households. We welcome everyone who shares our interest — no money is required! Feel free to post a video, or just tell us how your weather is.
Finally, here’s our list of successfully funded projects — our series total is 593! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.