This week, we’re helping a New Mexico second grade get books and materials about science topics, and a Texas pre-kindergarten class get some number and letter puzzles. 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.
Happy new year! We have some exciting new projects today, both of which happen to have a somewhat limited timeline for completion.
In this one, Mrs. Rios wants her southern New Mexico second-graders to have both books and materials to learn about a wide variety of science topics, including plenty of work with live plants. We have help from 2x matching funds from “an anonymous supporter”.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students the opportunity to have hands on learning relatable to the science we are learning in the classroom.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: East Picacho Elementary School, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Total: $417.93 (2x matching funds from An Anonymous Supporter)
Still Needed: $417.93 $193.52 ($97 from us)
Project description by Mrs. Rios: Help my students love science with hands on experiments in the classroom and responsibility of planting and caring for plants while learning about the life cycle. This will give the students the opportunity to understand how science can be in our daily lives. They will also be able to reference books to each unit of science that they are learning about. Having books that the students can reference as they are learning will build background knowledge and give them the ability to research what is being taught. Students that have access to hands on material learn best and is a different way to explore science.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Among the requested items is the Large Bog Terrarium Plant Set, which you can see here. One of the included plants, a spikemoss, is the subject of this informative little animation about its life cycle. The reference numbers shown on the screen (such as the “PO:0007134” shown on the thumbnail screen) can be looked up at the website of the Planteome project (link is also in the YouTube description) to learn more about it.
Mrs. Preciado teaches pre-K for four-year-olds in Corpus Christi, Texas, on the Gulf Coast. She’s asking for a number of sturdy wooden puzzles with number and letter themes.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students wooden puzzles to help build number and letter sense.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Hicks Elementary School, Corpus Christi, Texas
Total: $363.69
Still Needed: $363.69 $119.28
Project description by Mrs. Preciado: Each week, my students are provided with learning opportunities to help build an understanding of their letters and numbers.
Through the use of puzzles, students will be able to connect their learning of letters and numbers through the use of play.
Play is an important part of Pre-K and working together to complete puzzles will help my students work on skills like sharing, working together, critical thinking and making connections.
For most of my students, this is their first experience at school and with your help, I hope to create a positive learning environment through puzzle play.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Among the items requested are these “peg puzzles” — jigsaw puzzles whose large pieces each have a little peg handle, to help preschoolers pick them up more easily. Melissa & Doug wooden toys are good quality, and I thought their brief skit about their brand at the end was pretty cute.
Both our projects from last week/last year were completed, with the help of our wonderful readers, assisted by the magic of random people who needed end-of-year tax deductions!
Project #1, Enriching Young Minds Through Fairy Tales: Mrs. Arias wanted her elementary school library in Lubbock, Texas to be able to offer some fairy tales.
She writes: Thank you so much for your generous donation to "Enriching Young Minds Through Fairy Tales" project at our school library. The best investment you can make is children and the books they will discover. Thank you for giving this amazing opportunity to my students to see and experience these amazing books!
Project #2, Printing Brighter Futures for Kindergartners in Mission, South Dakota: Ms. Carnacito needed a color printer for her kindergarten class on the Rosebud Reservation.
She writes: Your donation to our printer project is truly a blessing! With this printer, I will be able to provide my students with personalized learning resources that cater to their unique needs. Many of my kindergarteners come from families facing financial challenges, and your support helps ensure that they have the same opportunities to succeed as any other child. Thank you for giving them this chance!
In other news: Bill Nye receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
| 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 1146! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
