This week, we’re helping two small-town school science labs that need assorted equipment, one belonging to a high school teacher in Oklahoma, and the other, to a middle school teacher in Arizona. 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.
At last we’re ready to move this big former project #2 up here to the top! If it does not get completed this week, I believe it’s on track for next week.
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 #1
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and chemistry lab with selected items that will help improve the quality of education for my students by updating outdated/missing equipment and providing new hands-on activities.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: $198.81 $74.99
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 high school chemistry teacher provides a lot of video content on his YouTube channel, for the purpose of freeing more class time for lab work. Here, he introduces basic lab equipment.
Here’s our new project #2 for this week! Mrs. Rivera teaches the middle-school grades in a tiny town south of Phoenix, so small that those grades are in the elementary school. She’s seeking some models that will enhance her science teaching.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students a heart model to provide them a 3D visual representation of the heart’s structure. Molecule model kit will make it easier for students to learn about the molecular structure of the human body.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; more than three-quarters of students from low‑income households.
Location: Stanfield Elementary School, Stanfield, Arizona
Total: $518.35
Still Needed: $358.35 $303.35
Project description by Mrs. Rivera: I absolutely love how students bring a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm to every topic they explore. As for the brain model and molecular kit, they are incredible tools in helping students understand complex concepts. A brain model allows students to visualize the structure and functions of the brain, turning abstract ideas into something tangible. They can see how different regions are connected, how the brain controls everything from movement to emotions, and get a sense of how all the parts work together. With a brain model, students can dive deep into understanding the structure and function of the brain, seeing how everything fits together in a hands-on way. Similarly, a molecular kit can make complex biology and chemistry topics, like molecular bonds or cellular structures, much more accessible and engaging.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
This very short video uses a molecule model kit like the one requested to show why molecules take on the specific shapes they do.
Last week, our project #1 was completed before the diary even posted! That could not have happened without our donors contributing to so much progress the week before — thank you!
Project #1, Digging Into Learning: a Worm Farm: Ms. Werner wanted her South Carolina middle school special ed students to have a chance to participate in the school garden project by raising worms for composting
She writes: I am so excited to be able to tell our students that we will be able to have our own worm farm. Worms may seem like an odd thing to be excited about but the positive impact that worms have on our garbage is amazing. It will be exciting for our other classes that help collect compost items from the fruit scraps at lunch through our schools leadership program. Thank you again for your generosity. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
| 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.
