Donors Choose – Make a Difference Monday

UPDATE: Through April 30, use code SHOUT to double your donation and make an even bigger difference at Donors Choose!

I’ve teamed up with my good friend at Fun Finds for Families to bring you Make a Difference Monday, a weekly link-up featuring classroom projects at Donors Choose, in the hopes that together we can help some students out.

Sometimes these classes just need help with the basics. Sometimes they’re dreaming even bigger.

Each week we’ll feature a few current classroom projects on Donors Choose. Then we’ll offer the opportunity for you to share YOUR projects below so that everyone can see what your students are working on!

You don’t need to be a teacher to participate, either. Submit your own child’s classroom project or just one that inspires you.

And if you happen across one project that speaks to you more than others? Well, maybe we can get a project or two funded!

Here’s how Donors Choose works:

Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on Donors Choose. Then you browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, Donors Choose will deliver the materials to the school.

The Donors Choose projects

An Android Tablet Is How I Learn - Mason City, IA

From the description:

So often, materials that are appropriate for older students, such as paper and pencils, are not appropriate for students with significant needs. Using a tablet will allow students to access materials that would otherwise be out of their reach.

My students have significant cognitive and physical disabilities but that doesn’t answer “who they are”. They are funny, smart, ambitious, hard-working, caring people. They attend a public K-4 school with their neighborhood friends. My students like to spend time with their friends in their homerooms, at lunch, at recess and in their classes.

Personal Finance & Entrepreneurship Library – Silver Spring, MD

From the description:

Did you ever want to start a business? Balance your checkbook? File your taxes? Or buy a home? I have collected a number of free materials from different organizations to help students answer these questions about entrepreneurship, personal finance and economics. But we need a place to store them!

My students are incredibly talented and work hard to be successful in their academic efforts. Over 40 percent of our students are on free and reduced meal (FARMs) plans. At some point in their academic careers, more than 70 percent of them have been on a similar FARMs meal plan. Many come from difficult family situations and school is the bedrock constant in their lives, an escape from what is going on at home.

First Grade Fun – Arden, NC

From the description: As the year winds down, I would like to help my current 1st graders remember this wonderful school year. Together we will create the Memory Lane Activity Mats to share our favorite memories of the school year. We need End-of-Year Certificates and stickers to celebrate the end of the year. We also need a copy of Last Day Blues because on the first day of school I read First Day Jitters and this book is the sequel. To welcome my new 1st graders I would like new Book Buddy bags to safely transport their take home readers each week. I would also like to give them a Welcome To School bag with a sticker, pencil, and bracelet when they arrive on the first day of school. I know they will always remember these small gifts.

Your Donors Choose Projects

And now it’s your turn to share! Share a link to the Donors Choose projects that interest and inspire you. Include the project request, state and grade level.

Example: Solar Project Set – FL – 2nd Grade

If you’re a teacher you probably already know about DonorsChoose, but if you’re a parent you might not! DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization that connects public school teachers to people like you and me who want to support them! You can donate monetary gifts to specific teachers, specific subjects, specific types of classes, etc. I LOVE this company because it helps me to help teachers in what they need most. All situations are different of course, but teachers are able to help meet individual student needs as well as obtain basic classroom supplies with help from us. Just earlier this year via DonorsChoose my husband was able to acquire noise-cancelling headphones to help his autistic students and it’s been wonderful! Sometimes it’s the little things that make classrooms a better place to learn. RIGHT NOW through April 30th if you donate ANY amount and type in the promo code SHOUT it will DOUBLE your donation! Only have $5 to give? Use promo code SHOUT & it will make it $10!! Can you afford $25 to help out our students? It will turn in to $50 with the promo code! Let me tell you that even having an extra $25 or $50 in the classroom for a teacher is a HUGE deal. H.U.G.E. Even that extra $5 or $10 can help purchase extra books or pencils!

If you find that you really have a passion to support our schools & our teachers you can pledge to give $10 a month to support our teachers & get a $50 DonorsChoose gift card!

Can’t afford it right now monetarily? Don’t feel bad? Tweet or share this post on Facebook and maybe someone else can!! Want to specifically support projects from readers here on Surviving a Teacher’s Salary? Check out some of our readers current projects! 

Donors Choose – Make a Difference Monday

I’ve teamed up with my good friend at Fun Finds for Families to bring you Make a Difference Monday, a weekly link-up featuring classroom projects at Donors Choose, in the hopes that together we can help some students out.

**RIGHT NOW you can see projects that will double your monetary gift!**

Thanks to Cathe for letting me know if donors to Donors Choose type in SHOUT in the match code box that their donations of any amount will be matched.

Sometimes these classes just need help with the basics. Sometimes they’re dreaming even bigger.

Each week we’ll feature a few current classroom projects on Donors Choose. Then we’ll offer the opportunity for you to share YOUR projects below so that everyone can see what your students are working on!

You don’t need to be a teacher to participate, either. Submit your own child’s classroom project or just one that inspires you.

And if you happen across one project that speaks to you more than others? Well, maybe we can get a project or two funded!

Here’s how Donors Choose works:

Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on Donors Choose. Then you browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, Donors Choose will deliver the materials to the school.

The Donors Choose projects

We Want to Be Great Authors, Too! – Madison, WI

From the description: Great authors inspire kids to read more and to be great authors themselves! Reading a number of books by the same author creates a relationship between the author and the reader. I want to provide access to collections of books by Dr. Seuss, Chris Van Allsburg and Brian & Andrea Pinkney.

Author studies are a great way to expose students to the craft of writing a great story. By reading several books by the same author, we will notice patterns and themes throughout his/her work. I have a few books by Dr. Seuss in my classroom library, two by Chris Van Allsburg (famous for The Polar Express) and only one by Andrea & Brian Pinkney. Most kids know Dr. Seuss already and I would like to expose them to more books by these writers to show the styles of contrasting successful authors.

Make Our Mariachi Merry! – Bullhead City, AZ

From the description: Have you ever tried to ride a bicycle made for a small child? Our Mariachi band students now outnumber the school’s violins, and some of these 7th and 8th grade kids are playing on 1/2 size instruments designed for 3rd graders. Some kids have nothing at all to play.

We are asking for violins. These are basic, entry-level violins for beginning students. They are full-sized instruments, referred to in the catalog as 4/4. Currently, we have teenagers playing on instruments designed for an 8 year-old. While we were lucky to get the 1/2 sized instruments from the community, they do not project as well as full size instruments, and it is often hard for our audience to appreciate our performances. Additionally, the small size violins look a bit silly, even in the hands of our most petite students. Increasing the number of instruments we can provide will give more students the opportunity to learn to play. Additionally, if we can get enough standard instruments, we can transfer the small instruments to our feeder elementary school, so that they can start students on the violin at a younger age.

Your Donors Choose Projects

And now it’s your turn to share! Share a link to the Donors Choose projects that interest and inspire you. Include the project request, state and grade level.

Example: Solar Project Set – FL – 2nd Grade

Donors Choose – Make a Difference Monday

I’ve teamed up with my good friend at Fun Finds for Families to bring you Make a Difference Monday, a weekly link-up featuring classroom projects at Donors Choose, in the hopes that together we can help some students out.

Sometimes these classes just need help with the basics. Sometimes they’re dreaming even bigger.

Each week we’ll feature a few current classroom projects on Donors Choose. Then we’ll offer the opportunity for you to share YOUR projects below so that everyone can see what your students are working on!

You don’t need to be a teacher to participate, either. Submit your own child’s classroom project or just one that inspires you.

And if you happen across one project that speaks to you more than others? Well, maybe we can get a project or two funded!

Here’s how Donors Choose works:

Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on Donors Choose. Then you browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, Donors Choose will deliver the materials to the school.

The Donors Choose projects

Why Are The Bullies Still In My Room? – Philadelphia, PA

From the description: I am requesting the book entitled Bullying In Schools for our classroom library. In addition, I am asking for pillows to sit on in our reading area for when we read our bullying books. I am also asking for assorted erasers so we can erase our mistakes. In addition, we would love to get folders so we have a place to store our bullying stories. Lastly, I need classroom management signs and a lesson planner so I can get additional strategies to manage my classroom. Please help us help ourselves.

Please help put an end to bullying in my school and in my classroom. I am looking forward to expanding our bullying books collection because my students need strategies and books to prevent bullying in our classroom.

We Be Jammin’!- Lakewood, FL (38 days left!)

From the description: My classroom is currently in need of wind chimes, a chimes stand, a conga stand, a chime hammer, straight mutes for my trumpet players, and neck straps for my saxophone players. Providing these instruments and instrument accessories will help my students play their music culturally and historically correct. Currently, my students are learning about the Renaissance and African culture through the music they are playing at their next concert. Unfortunately, my classroom is missing the percussion instruments and instrument accessories that would allow my students to authentically perform these pieces.

Expressive Masks – New York, NY

From the description: My students need productive and expressive ways to share their cultures with each other. By creating masks that require them work with each other in constructive ways they are able to create artwork that does this. This project allows the students to share their experiences and cultures with each other in a way that seems “cool” to all of the kids. They work with each other to create the physical structures of the masks (the bases and then any features like horns or ears) and then individually to paint and decorate their pieces.

Your Donors Choose Projects

And now it’s your turn to share! Share a link to the Donors Choose projects that interest and inspire you. Include the project request, state and grade level.

Example: Solar Project Set – FL – 2nd Grade