This week, we’re helping two science projects that are eligible for funds from the same matching grant; one in a rural Colorado high school, and one in a middle school on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. 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 have two new projects today!
Our friend Eastern Bluebird dropped me a line late in the week. She had come across this terrific project that has matching funds available, but it is about to expire on Tuesday if it isn’t completed. We figured it was well worth making the effort to rescue it!
Mr Stockbridge teaches high school in a rural town in southern Colorado, and he needs a device incorporating several different light sensors. There is a 2x match from General Motors: We’re proud to support teachers as they create dynamic, enriching classrooms and prepare their students for a bright future. Join us in driving multi-disciplinary STEAM skillset development among the next generation of engineers, developers, programmers, automotive designers, and more!
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students a hands-on experience with light using Vernier data probes to measure light.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; more than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households.
Location: Trinidad High School, Trinidad, Colorado
Total: $508.12 (2x matching funds from General Motors)
Still Needed: $399.29 $130.47 ($66 from us)
Project description by Mr. Stockbridge: Hands-on learning with students working with data is one of my major goals. Although we are surrounded by light, students rarely get to interact with it in an intellectual way - especially in math!
These light and sensor probes will allow me to provide my students with hands-on, data experiences as we look at the math that describes the behavior of light.
We will use the sensors to measure how the intensity of light changes with distance AND explore reflectivity. Although these are concepts which most students understand intuitively, the sensors will help them to learn the practical math behind those concepts.
The sensors will also see a lot of use in the Earth Science courses where students will explore insolation (related to seasons), albedo (related to climate change) and intensity. The equipment also opens the door to us exploring the math and science behind solar panels. Please consider helping to provide some powerful learning experiences for our students.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
The manufacturer of the requested device introduces it and conducts a popular experiment to give us an idea of what it can do.
Our second project is also an Eastern Bluebird find — it is an exciting day when she has a chance to sit down with the DonorsChoose site and rummage for good projects for us!
Porcupine BIA Day School is in the tiny town of Porcupine, SD. You may have been tipped off by the inclusion of “BIA” (Bureau of Indian Affairs) in the school name that this town is part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and sits just north of Wounded Knee. Mr. Brillantes teaches middle school there, and he has some wonderful ideas for presenting physics concepts to his class, if he can get the materials. Luckily, the General Motors 2x match is also available to this project.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students STEM experiment kits, a solar system science viewer, a magnets science kit, a properties of matter kit, a water testing kit, and a simulation volcano. Thank you so much!
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Porcupine BIA Day School, Porcupine, South Dakota
Total: $823.76 (2x matching funds from General Motors)
Still Needed: $720.82 $576.41 ($289 from us)
Project description by Mr. Brillantes: The purpose of this STEM activity is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of engineering and physics by designing and testing simple machines.
Through hands-on experience, students will learn about mechanical advantage, force, and motion, which are key concepts in both science and engineering.
This project aims to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, while encouraging students to apply their knowledge in a creative and practical way.
In this project, students will work in small groups to design a water testing procedure, properties of matter, volcano simulations, solar system viewer, etc. Each group will be challenged to create a machine that can perform a specific task, such as lifting a weight or moving an object across a surface. Students will use the scientific method to test their designs, measure their success, and make improvements based on their observations.
They will document their process, collect data on the performance of their machine, and present their findings to the class. Throughout the project, students will explore key physics concepts such as force, work, and energy, and understand how simple machines have been used throughout history to solve practical problems.
By the end of the activity, students will have a deeper understanding of the principles that govern how machines work, and they will have developed valuable skills in teamwork, innovation, and critical thinking.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
The Crash Course Kids channel explains the difference between a physical and chemical change in matter, one of the questions taken up by the requested Properties of Matter kit.
Both our projects from last week were completed, after a couple of weeks of effort. Big thanks to everyone who kept them moving along! Sometimes, we make all the donations ourselves, but sometimes we don’t have to, because our showing of focused interest moves the project up the “urgent” list that gets shown to people browsing DonorsChoose.
Project #1, The Wild Robot & Other Random Needs: Ms. Smestad wanted her Albuquerque fourth grade to have several popular book series, as well as some other supplies her school can’t provide.
She writes: Thank you so much for helping me get needed and fun items for my classroom and for my students. This has been such a fun group of students this year. We will finish out the school year strong, working hard and having fun while doing so. Here's to building a life-long love for learning!
Project #2, The Chemistry Connection: Building Molecular Structures: Mrs. Reel teaches high school in a small North Carolina town, and she needed some kits to allow her chemistry students to build models of molecules.
She writes: I hope this message finds you well! I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donations and your unwavering support for our classroom. Your contributions make a significant difference in the lives of our students, providing them with the resources they need to thrive and explore their potential.
Thank you for believing in our mission and for your commitment to education. Together, we are making an impact! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
| 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 1166! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
