This week, we’re helping two STEM teachers in the South bring robotics projects to their respective elementary-school classes. 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.
We made excellent progress last week on this project to help first-graders in a North Carolina town not too far south of Winston-Salem. So much so, that here it is up in the #1 spot! Mrs. Tysinger needs some interesting STEM materials (and a few books) to inspire her class to learn more science.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students STEM resources to be innovative and creative! The Makey Makey will allow students to turn everyday items into touchpads and the Ozobot will allow students to have hands-on learning with math and programming.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Southwest Elementary School, Lexington, North Carolina
Total: $385.39
Still Needed: $235.09 $150.68
Project description by Mrs. Tysinger: The students I teach come from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. I teach first graders at a Title I school. I am fortunate to have a diverse group of students. At our school, we have a high poverty level. All of our students receive free breakfast and lunch. Several students receive special education resource and ELL services. One thing all my students have in common is that they love learning. My students are in need of some materials. The Makey Makey will provide my students with creative hands-on STEM practice. The Ozobot will help students with math, science and coding skills. The charger will make sure that everything is ready to go and the sheet protectors will help keep materials ready for different groups. The books will provide students with reading material and the bug viewer will allow students to safely observe live insects.
The Makey Makey and Ozobot will give my students an engaging way to practice STEM skills.
This will enhance the classroom that I strive to create. I use these materials over multiple years and it make a difference in many lives. My students are thankful for the hands on learning opportunities.
Please consider supporting my students. You will be making a difference in their future by helping students build life long skills with these learning materials.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Ozobot Evo is the robot requested in this project. It looks like fun!
Here is our new project #2! Ms. Mitchell teaches all grades in the STEM lab at the elementary school in this Georgia town, and she needs some coding robots to bring computer science to the students.
We have 2x matching funds from The Ned and Nathalie Fund, which does not offer its own statement, but its current effort is described this way by DonorsChoose: The Ned and Nathalie Fund is supporting projects at Rural schools from teachers who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students DASH robots to support our robotics program and STEM program.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Cooper-Carver Elementary School, Dawson, Georgia
Total: $953.46 (2x matching funds from The Ned and Nathalie Fund)
Still Needed: $953.46 $759.05 ($380 from us)
Project description by Ms. Valisa Mitchell: Dash robots play a big part in my Computer Science program. My students love programming the Dash robots. It's an easy way to teach coding to my younger students.
My wish is to have a classroom set of Dash robots for my students.
I teach grades PreK - 5, and they love working with Dash. They are learning to translate what they have learned using code.org to code the Dash robots. It's amazing to have them tell me, "We learned this using code.org." I have about 20 students per class period. This is a good start to our collection of Dash Robots.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Rather than the sales pitch, here’s a little Dash “get started” video that I think gives a better idea of some of the features that make the little robot attractive.
Our project #1 from last week was completed. As usual, our readers had a great deal to do with that — thank you!
Project #1, Brightening Young Minds: a Preschool Library Makeover: Ms. Wilson needed to revamp and modernize the library at her Virginia preschool.
She writes: Thank you so much for your generous donation! Our library will be a much more inviting and engaging space for all of our preschool students in Hopewell. I can't wait to see how these materials will impact their learning. Thank you again for all your generosity and supporting our early learners!​ ​ ​
| 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 1156! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
