This week, we’re again helping a South Carolina middle school class take up worm composting, and a high school in Oklahoma resupply their science labs. 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.
This week, we’re still working on both our projects from last week, but this one is so close to completion, I am sure it won’t be open much longer! LOL, completed! It had sat open all week, but this very morning, someone came through and finished it! Okay, so, awesome, let’s focus on project #2 today, and next week, just maybe we’ll need two new projects!
Ms. Werner’s South Carolina middle school has a school garden project that all the students can potentially be involved in. She wants her special education students to have a chance to raise worms for composting.
There are 2x matching funds available from the Bezos Family Foundation: We’re helping more young people realize their potential by championing the science of learning and its application in everyday life.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students a complete worm farm so that they can learn hands on about decomposition and soil health.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Northwoods Middle School, Charleston, South Carolina
Total: $419.64 (2x matching funds from Bezos Family Foundation)
Still Needed: $194.75 COMPLETED! Thank you! Please consider project #2 below.
Project description by Ms. Werner: This project is to help our middle school students engage in hands on environmental science by funding a worm farm for our special education classroom and school. This interactive project will teach students about composting, sustainability and the vial role worms play in our ecosystem.
Our students have revitalized a school garden, where we are incorporating a sensory aspect as well and want to combine with a leadership class that is collecting compost for us.
Our students are curious, enthusiastic learners who thrive when given the opportunity to explore science through real world applications and hands on learning. Many come from diverse backgrounds and some have limited access to outdoor learning experiences. By bringing a worm farm into our classroom and school, we can provide them with a unique, hands-on way to learn about decomposition, soil health, and sustainable practices.
We are requesting funding for a classroom worm composting bin, red wiggler worms, bedding material, and educational resources to help students understand and manage the worm farm. Students will be responsible for feeding and maintaining the worm bin, tracking the decomposition process, and using the nutrient-rich compost to enhance our school garden.
They will learn valuable skills in observation, data collection, and problem-solving as they monitor the health of our worms and analyze their impact on soil quality.
Your generous contribution will provide our students with the resources they need to build and maintain a thriving worm farm. This project will cultivate a lifelong appreciation for environmental science and sustainability while empowering students to take action in their community. Every donation, big or small, will make a difference in helping us bring science to life!
Thank you for supporting hands-on learning and helping our students dig deep into science!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
This is a comprehensive 20-minute starter class in how to begin composting with worms.
This is our third week on this ambitious project, and we have really made excellent progress!
Mr. Wooten teaches high school in a tiny rural town in eastern Oklahoma, located in the Cherokee Nation. He’s trying to update his biology and chemistry labs, and could use some supplies.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students a basic functioning biology and chemistry lab with selected items that will help improve the quality of education for my students by updating outdated/missing equipment and providing new hands-on activities.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; more than half of students from low‑income households.
Location: Gore High School, Gore, Oklahoma
Total: $890.87
Still Needed: $322.64 $198.81
Project description by Mr. Wooten: By selecting items that are able to be used across multiple classes. this will help improve effectiveness and efficiency, reaching the most students. These carefully chosen items will help provide a foundation for which we will be able to expand upon. The scales, goggles, flasks and other items were chosen for versatility, reusability, and efficiency.
Providing updated, safe, and engaging hands-on supplies and materials for my biology and chemistry students will enable them to safely perform numerous activities.
Our current lab is being updated, but with the budget dedicated towards facility and hard asset upgrades, additional hands-on supplies would be greatly appreciated.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
This veteran chemistry teacher made a bunch of videos for his AP chem students during Covid lockdown. This one is a brief introduction to the requested Erlenmeyer flask.
Since we didn’t complete either project last week, I don’t have notes for you. And that’s when I go instead to the DonorsChoose YouTube channel, to see what they are saying these days to explain what it is they, and we, do.
And meanwhile, THANK YOU to all our readers, donors, recommenders, tweeters, and everyone else who finds a way to help us get the message out!
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| 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 1170! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
