This week, we’re helping three math and science projects that focus on helping students who don’t have internet access or printers at home keep up with their lessons while their schools are closed. 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.
Here is DonorsChoose.org’s message about the current situation:
Coronavirus Update: Thank you for your continued support of teachers; they need us right now! We are working closely with teachers and will fulfill all funded projects on the timeline that is best for their school.
Projects are listed this week in expiration date order, but all are equally worthwhile, of course!
Let’s help this never-before-funded teacher provide math and other learning activities to her 3rd-grade students, most of whom don’t have internet access or printers at home. This project expires on April 25th.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students activities to keep them engaged and learning during school closure until August because of COVID-19. Most of my students do not have internet access or printing capabilities.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Jacox Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia
Total: $564.69
Still Needed: $206.16 Completed, thank you! Please consider 3rd project below!
Teacher’s Comments from Mrs. Rogers:
My Students: My 3rd grade students are students that love learning and will benefit from materials that enable them to do so more interactively. The third grade curriculum is rich in Ancient Civilizations and geographical information.
These students are in a very economically challenged school that wants the very best for them and additional materials to support their learning is very much appreciated.
This is a 3rd grade classroom where all of the 18 students are well below grade level in proficiency and it is my goal to help them make as much academic progress this year as possible. They are students with great potential.
With the school closures for the rest of the academic school year because of COVID-19, I am finding it challenging to keep educational material provided to my students. Most do not have computer access and so distance learning is a struggle.
My Project: I teach 3rd grade at JES, a 100% Title I elementary school in Norfolk, VA. I would appreciate any help you can give in providing writing, comprehension, and math activities that I can make available to all students to keep them learning.
My students are without internet, printers, and devices to continue learning for the rest of the academic year due to COVID-19.
These students were behind academically and we have made a lot of progress this year. They really need accessible learning to continue to strive toward mastery.
Our schools in Virginia are closed for the rest of the year. Thank you!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
From belinda ridgewood in last week’s diary: We don’t usually do this, but . . . I’m adding another one for anyone who comes along late and wants to play! Some of the students in this middle school have had various good reasons to be struggling to begin with. When you add in distance learning AND some being without a computer at home, they really deserve help that we can give!
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students that are not on grade level as well those who speak/read Spanish access to text to help them with Distance Learning through the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Economic need: More than half of students from low‑income households
Location: Sherwood Githens Middle School, Durham, North Carolina
Total: $170.25
Still Needed: $170.25 Completed! Thank you! One more project below.
Teacher’s Comments from Mrs. Burns:
My Students: My students are 7th graders in North Carolina. We have a completely diverse population and range from extremely high ability levels to extremely low ability levels. A lot of my students come from single-parent families, and therefore they might not always get the support that they need at home.
My students come in every day, eager for fun activities to help them remain engaged in the learning process.
My Project: We were all thrown for a loop with having little notice on school closures. Due to this, we did not have time to prepare adequate lessons for student learning for the rest of the year. Starting this coming week, I am rolling out new content with my students, which will mean some will be left behind if I do not have the proper resources for them. I have really worked to make sure that the in-print packets are almost identical to online work. There are somethings that just cannot be done without Internet, so they have an alternate resource that day.
For my kids who speak and read Spanish this is a struggle for them, as they are new to the country and are desperately trying to catch up and learn English as well as expected to learn all content taught.
By having an account to Science A-Z, it will allow me to not only ensure that I can send work home or include differentiated work for my kids that need help, but that I can also send home assignments that are completely in Spanish. I do have some resources in Spanish from our textbook, however, the reading content in the book cannot be found anywhere in Spanish.
Thank you in advance to those that donate in providing this resource for my kids!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Finally, let’s help this elementary school teacher hand out math and literacy materials at the food distribution sites. Yes, I know that California is no longer a red state, but I forgot to check the state before clicking through and cannot resist those little kids’ sweet faces. You’ve been warned!
LONG-TERM PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students the chance to keep up while school is closed. Parents don't have access to the internet or a printer. I need the opportunity to hand out these books at the food distribution sites.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Pacific View Leadership Elementary School, San Diego, California
Total: $424.22
Still Needed: $424.22 $387.46
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Taylor:
My Students: The children in my room came in excited to begin their first year of school. They are an energetic group of transitional and traditional kindergartners who are ready to learn through play. This group is enthusiastic about taking on learning but now must do so from home.
We are a full-inclusion classroom with multiple languages spoken.
Our families are trying to implement "distance-learning" with limited resources. They deserve a tangible gift that they can use to help their children at home immediately.
My Project: My students and their families have been struggling to keep up while schools are closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Many of our families don't have access to a computer, internet, or a computer.
As our district struggles to get computers and internet available, my students are falling behind.
I would love the opportunity to surprise them with these [literacy and mathematics] materials when they come through the food distribution site. What a gift it would be to provide a way for all parents to be able to help their children prepare for first grade.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
DonorsChoose.org has set up a special coronavirus relief effort to help teachers in highest poverty areas send educational materials to students who are trying to learn from home. This effort isn’t limited to math and science projects, but we thought our readers might be interested in hearing about it. The fund has raised almost $3.8 million so far.
Urgent Coronavirus Response: Help teachers get key resources to students at home.
Coronavirus has closed schools across the country. Right now, teachers need to get supplies in the hands of students at home to keep them learning, especially in our country’s highest-need communities. We surveyed over 3,000 teachers, and 97% of them are worried that school closings are going to hurt their students’ learning.
Teachers need your help now to get the technology, basic supplies, and hands-on activities they need to keep kids learning at home.
Here’s how it will work:
- You make a donation of any amount to Keep Kids Learning.
- All donations go to teachers at schools serving low-income communities where most students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
- Teachers select the materials they need and distribute them to students at home.
DonorsChoose, the classroom funding site for public school teachers, is committed to getting teachers what they need to give every student a great education. Usually, funded supplies are shipped directly to classrooms in need. With schools closed, this new pilot program for delivering on our mission empowers teachers to get supplies directly to students at home.
We’ve automatically waived our 15% optional donation for this program, so 100% of your gift will go to supplies for teachers and their students.
DonorsChoose.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating. Visit our help center for details on how Keep Kids Learning works, or for more information on how we're responding to teachers impacted by coronavirus.
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Thanks to the generous assistance of our readers, both of last week’s projects were quickly completed! Here are the teachers’ thank you notes:
STEM Indoors: Thank you for your kind donations. Although we are not in school right due to Covid-19, students will be able to use these Stem games upon return. Hoping everyone stays safe and heathy during this time. Looking forward to returning to my classroom and teaching students soon. Thanks again!
— With gratitude, Ms. Nguyen
Learning From Home COVID-19: I am thrilled to provide the extra support and treat to my class family! Thank you for your generous donations. As I am calling my students almost daily the number one thing I hear repeatedly is they are bored. They do not have computer to complete the online learning and these colorful workbooks and crayons will be a delightful distraction.
— With gratitude, Mrs. Mindermann
Per Eastern Bluebird’s comments below: there are a couple of programs you can use to help your local school when shopping, at no cost to you. Many thanks to EB for this info!
OFFICE DEPOT has a Give Back to Schools program, where you can give your school’s ID at checkout when buying qualifying school supplies, and the school will get 5% in credits to buy their own supplies. See link for complete information.
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION has been around since 1996, but is now converting to a free phone app instead of physical coupons. Scan your grocery receipt with the app, and it identifies eligible products and credits your school, which gets a check twice a year to use for whatever they need. See link for details.
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Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project combats the anti-science push in conservative America by funding science and math projects in 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 815! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.org.