This week, we’re helping a Lubbock, Texas elementary class that needs fairy tale books, and a kindergarten on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation that needs a printer. 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, math, and literacy projects for public schools in low-income neighborhoods. As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that facilitates tax-deductible donations to specific, vetted projects in public schools.
It’s the time of year to remind you that, if you like helping DonorsChoose and feel you could use some more tax-deductible donations in 2024, but don’t have a lot of time to choose projects right now, you can always make a lump donation as an account credit. Such a donation, in any amount, goes into your DonorsChoose account, and you can use funds from it any time during the next year to apply to projects of your choosing. One year after you make the donation, if there is anything left unapplied, DonorsChoose will apply it to projects on their “urgent” list.
📚 Go to this link to do this, or to see answers to common questions.
[Hey, I need to tell you that a breakfast I had scheduled for much earlier is now at just the time this diary posts, so I may not respond or update here right away — but I will!]
We had a busy week last week! This project was #1a, which is not a thing, except when super-generous people complete both regular projects early enough that I know there will be more folks coming along wanting to participate.
Mrs. Arias’s elementary school in Lubbock, Texas is lacking in fairy tales, and she needs some for her classroom library. We have a 2x matching grant available, from one of the favorite authors we’ve seen in our projects: The Mo & Cher Willems Foundation thanks teachers and donors for their work getting more new books into the hands of new readers!
[Looks like this matching grant money has run out. It took us a long way, on this and the previous project! We will certainly be able to complete this project — it’ll just take a bit longer.]
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students the wonder of fairy tales as they begin their reading journey!
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Hodges Elementary School, Lubbock, Texas
Total: $252.58
Still Needed: $232.58 $148.16
Project description by Mrs. Arias: Our elementary school serves a diverse student population, many of whom face socioeconomic challenges that limit their access to quality literature at home. Fairy tales have long been cherished for their timeless appeal and their ability to foster imagination, critical thinking, and cultural understanding. Unfortunately, our library’s collection of fairy tale picture books is outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of our young readers. We are seeking funding to curate a vibrant collection of fairy tale picture books that will inspire, educate, and engage our students.
These books will foster early literacy skills through captivating storytelling and illustrations.They will also encourage critical thinking by comparing and contrasting traditional and modern tales.Through these books, we can celebrate cultural diversity and promote inclusivity.
They will help us support classroom instruction by aligning with literacy and social studies curricula.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
I’m recycling last week’s video, the trailer from an interesting 2005 Terry Gilliam fantasy that reimagined the Brothers Grimm as con men who get more than they bargained for.
Then, we have a new project #2 this week that I will call a “longer-term” project. However, in my experience, once donors at large notice Reservation projects we’ve taken up, they do not remain open long. We’ll see, but of course, every project we can help to get completed is a good thing. If it doesn’t happen that way, there’s plenty of time for us to work on this. [Sunday: See what I mean?]
Ms. Carnacito is a never-before-funded teacher with a kindergarten class in a South Dakota town on the Rosebud Reservation, home of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Sicangu Lakota people. A reliable color printer would be a welcome resource for her classroom.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students an Epson EcoTank printer to create vibrant learning materials and colorful student projects, enriching their educational experience in our low-income kindergarten classroom.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Todd County Elementary School, Mission, South Dakota
Total: $246.07
Still Needed: $245.07 Completed, thank you! Please consider project #1 above.
Project description by Ms. Scarlet Kristy Carnacito: In our kindergarten classroom, our days are filled with learning, exploration, and creativity. However, many of our activities rely heavily on visuals to help our students understand concepts and express their creativity. Having access to a reliable color printer with an EcoTank system would transform the way I can support my students.
Our school serves a low-income community, and resources are often limited.
A color printer will allow us to print vibrant teaching materials, such as alphabet cards, story prompts, and visual aids that make learning more engaging. It will also enable my students to showcase their artistic creations, create class books, and take home colorful projects to share with their families.
The EcoTank system will ensure that ink is affordable and sustainable, making this a long-term resource for our classroom. Your support will help me bring more color, creativity, and opportunity into the lives of my kindergartners.
Project Goals:
Enhance visual learning by providing colorful teaching materials.
Encourage creativity and self-expression through printed student projects.
Create lasting classroom resources to support current and future students.
Why This Matters:
Many of my students lack access to resources at home that support their education. By bringing a color printer into our classroom, I can ensure that every child has the tools they need to thrive and succeed. Your contribution will make a lasting impact on these young learners and their futures. Thank you for helping us print brighter tomorrows!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
This short review’s language is a bit stilted, but it does a good job reviewing the features that make this printer a desirable choice.
Both our original projects from last week were completed! Many thanks to our readers, both regular and new!
Project #1, 4th Graders Love Novels!: Mrs. Wilson wanted her Nevada 4th-graders to be able to read a prizewinning novel about a character with learning disabilities.
She writes: Our 4th graders are so excited to read this awesome novel, Fish in a Tree! Using various types of fiction and nonfiction is a great way for us to build our love of reading. Plus, who doesn’t love an awesome smelly bookmark to keep our places? Thank you again for your generosity!
Project #2, Class Library: Ms. Drish is a never-before-funded Iowa teacher who is also new to teaching this year. She needed our help to improve her classroom library.
She writes: Thank you so much for giving to my classroom and students! They will appreciate it so much and I as well! They will use these books everyday in their classroom library. Once again thank you so much. I am so beyond grateful and appreciative! You all are amazing and wonderful people!
| DonorsChoose has developed the designation Equity Focus Schools to describe some schools that submit projects. They meet two criteria: at least 50% of students are Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial, and at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, the standard measure for school economic need. You can read more at the link about their efforts to address the longstanding inequity in education. |
Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project seeks to fund science, math, and literacy projects in public school classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose, 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 projects 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 1144! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
