We’re just 3 projects away from reaching our series’ next milestone of 750 completed projects! This week, we're helping to provide hands-on materials for science classrooms in Ferguson, Missouri and Glenpool, Oklahoma.
We hope that readers who support quality public school education will help these teachers and students by sharing or supporting our featured projects.
The Inoculation Project is an ongoing, volunteer effort to crowdfund science and math projects for red-state public schools in low-income neighborhoods. As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that facilitates tax-deductible donations to specific, vetted projects in public schools.
Both of today’s projects integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and will benefit never-before-funded classrooms.
MAIN PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students valuable STEAM experiences they would otherwise not have exposure to.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Central Elementary School, Ferguson, Missouri
Total: $522.92 (2x match offer)
Still Needed: $297.92 Completed, thank you! Please consider bonus project below.
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Phipps:
My Students: Our elementary school is located in the heart of Ferguson, MO. It is a very small community school where 95% of students walk to school. At our school, every child participates in a free breakfast and lunch program. Due to economic strain, many students don’t always have exposure to the valuable experiences that build background knowledge and schema.
In my classroom, the students are vibrant, inquisitive, thoughtful, and thrive on hands-on experiences.
I try to expose them to as many experiences through literature, technology, and science as possible. In order to meet the varying instructional needs of each student, I incorporate multiple teaching strategies including small group and partner work, alternative seating, and technology use.
My Project: The goal is to create STEAM choice bins for the students to use at various times throughout the day. The bins would work for both independent and small group learning.
In our school, STEAM is not emphasized, partly due to lack of funding, but I believe that early exposure to STEAM fosters creativity, strengthens critical thinking skills and builds background knowledge.
I want to create a student led culture of exploration and learning where students can find their passion for technology and engineering related topics. These STEAM bins are exactly what my students need to bring their ideas to life.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Our next never-before-funded teacher wants to provide a set of multicultural puppets in addition to the materials pictured below.
BONUS PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students the STEM kit 1 and diversity puppets. Both items will be greatly appreciated by my students.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: NACT Head Start Glenpool, Glenpool, Oklahoma
Total: $596.44 (match offer= use the code AMBASSADORS at checkout)
Still Needed: $307.44 $146.55
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Catlett:
My Students: Hello Everyone, my name is Paige Catlett. My students call me Ms. Catlett. I work at a Head Start in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My class involves twenty clever, imaginative, and industrious three to five year old students that are eager to learn.
When coming to my class, my goal is to better their education and help my students develop social skills.
My children come from many different cultures and backgrounds. At the Head Start, we specialize in helping low-income families. So with that I truly am here to give my students a head start into their education.
My Project: My Library center is most important to my students. I want it to be inviting and fun so that the students learn the value of books. My library center allows all students to explore elements of literacy by emphasizing the importance of reading, speaking, and stimulating comprehension development. Presenting the STEM kit will help my students interact more easily and use their language skills. The books and puppets are inviting and will help the children that are shy or that have a difficult time opening up by capturing their attention when the puppets make the book come to life. The activity that goes along with the book will allow the students to use their creative minds by making connections with real-life lessons.
Offering the STEM kit will inspire my student's imagination and capture their attention when it comes to incorporating science, technology, engineering, and math through books that they know and love.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
With the assistance of our donors, both of last week’s projects were completed! One teacher apparently hasn’t received the good news, but the other one has already posted her thank you note for Making Sense of Number Sense:
Thank you so very much for the supplies for my kiddos! I can't wait for school to start and give these learners the head start they need to grow and change. I feel so blessed to be able to provide these resources for my students. This summer is going to be amazing knowing I will be able to start off the year with these much needed supplies.
With gratitude,
Ms. Tucker
Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project combats the anti-science push in conservative America by funding science and math projects in traditionally red-state classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, a crowdfunding charity founded in 2000 and highly rated by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau.
Every Sunday, we focus on helping to fund science or math projects, preferably in neighborhood public schools where the overwhelming majority of students come from low-income households. We welcome everyone who supports public school education — no money is required!
Finally, here’s our list of successfully funded projects — our series total is 747! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.org.