This week, we have two elementary-school projects: a San Antonio teacher has lessons about habitat and erosion to teach through gardening, and a Michigan media-center teacher needs science books for all reading levels. We hope that readers who support quality public school education will help 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.
Last week, this project for a never-before-funded teacher got added late, after the original projects were completed. So, back it comes as our main project! Matching funds are provided by an anonymous donor.
MAIN PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students shovels, rakes, a wheelbarrow, and weed barrier to build lasting and restorative gardens on my campus.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Schenck Elementary School, San Antonio, Texas
Total: $448.55 (2x match offer)
Still Needed: $277.67 $87.67 ($44 from us!)
Teacher’s Comments from Mr. Hitt:
My Students: These students are hardworking and driven kids. The majority of the student population are students who do not go home to two parents or stable environments and 90% of the population are minority students.
More than half of the student population are considered "At risk" for dropping out before high school graduation.
89% of the students are on free or reduced lunch.
Yet with all the issues of systemic poverty and unstable home environments, these students performed better than 60% of the rest of the schools in Texas.
My Project: These tools are needed to teach students about two major topics: one is providing a habitat for native plants and wildlife like butterflies. And second the benefits of having rock gardens and how they control erosion of soil at school campuses and allow water to infiltrate soil, thus recharging our drinking water. Most schools across the country have a flat roof system that has giant gutters that shoot rainwater from the gutter straight into a storm drain. This garden will not only teach about the erosion of soil and recharging our aquifer but also create a thriving and sustainable ecosystem that will support native plants, and native wildlife like birds and pollinators. By teaching students the benefits of riparian grasses that stabilize soil and prevent erosion students can see many systems at work and then go out into their communities and build similar systems to create systemic change.
Students will be able to not only observe but physically manipulate many hard to teach standards such as: the rock cycle, the carbon/oxygen cycle, weathering, erosion, and deposition of sediment, the structure and function of native plants, photosynthesis and the water cycle.
This garden will be used and observed by the whole school, giving the lower grades something that not only looks nice but creates environmental positive change. This garden will give the upper grades a hands-on approach to learning science standards that are typically not available to see at school.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Here’s another never-before-funded teacher, running an elementary school media center with zero budget for books, and trying to provide materials for a wide range of reading levels.
LONG-TERM PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students books to learn about computer science, coding, and STEM. These books will help students learn more about the technology that surrounds them, as well as provide ideas for future coding and makerspace ideas.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: West Utica Elementary School, Shelby TWP, Michigan
Total: $580.72
Still Needed: $430.72 $334.84
Teacher’s Comments from Mr. Brown:
My Students: I teach Media Center (library and computer science) at a 100% Title I school; meaning the majority of my students are considered "At-Risk." Our students almost all qualify for free or reduced lunch. Many come from one parent families or are not even being raised by their parents. Needless to say my students are not given the same opportunities as many kids their age.
My district's media center budget for books is $0.00 so while many schools relay on parent fundraising or student fundraisers to maintain and update their library or update their media centers with technology tools like robots, or MakerSpace materials, I have to rely on personal funds and crowdfunding sites like this one.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read about my students and potentially bring greater educational opportunities!!
My Project: My 400+ computer science students are constantly wanting to learn more about the technology that surrounds them and ways to learn and do more. These books will provide them a new resource library. Books like the "Learn to Code" book set will help students improve their Computer Science knowledge base.
Our younger students need good read aloud stories to get them into the problem solving and STEM/MakerSpace mindset.
"Rosie Revere, Engineer" and "Whoose" will help them realize that children can be creative inventors and problems solvers.
This group of books will work to create our STEM library that will hopefully be funded and benefit my Kindergarten through 6th grade students.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Last week, two projects were completed, with a big assist from our readers!
Mrs. Diaz’s Corpus Christi middle school science students will build balloon-powered cars, and do trebuchet experiments, to help them understand Newton’s laws, thanks to the project Racing Newton’s Laws: Engineering Balloon Powered Cars. She writes: Thank you so much for funding this project. The students will be so excited to find out they will be building and racing their cars in the spring! Because of your generosity, my students will be able to learn about Newton's laws of motion while having a great time! Each one of you is a true hero for supporting public school kids. Thanks again for your support.
And, at Mrs. Pilcher’s rural Mississippi high school, students will use soil-testing kits to study soil health and the origins of soil and water pollution. The project was Hidden Nature: Exploring Soils on the School Farm. She writes: Wow!!! I am honored and humbled to have received such an outpouring of support from across the nation! I am SO excited to share this great news with my students! I will keep you updated on our successes with this project and I know that these activities will change the way my students look at soil for the rest of their lives!
Our Dollars at Work
Back in August, we helped Ms. Catlett’s Texas 6th grade with some basic lab equipment to allow her students to do a variety of experiments, via the project Math and Science Essentials (More photos at the link.)
Thank you so much for helping me provide my students with calculators, meter sticks, goggles, stop watches and aprons. During our math and science labs, it has allowed my students to be safe and protected when using chemicals. The meter sticks, calculators and stopwatches have allowed them to explore labs and make those critical math connections. It has really helped my students learn about conversions and time correlations in a short period of time. Since they no longer have to share supplies, they feel empowered to use their materials and take their learning to the next level. I can't thank you enough for your generosity! It has really helped my students thrive and has empowered to think on a deeper level. You are all a true blessing!
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 795! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.org.