This week, we’re helping a New York State third grade study insect life cycles, and a New Jersey high school explore a number of topics in chemistry. 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 a new project #1 today!
Ms. Bird teaches third grade in upstate New York. She wants her students to be able to see the life cycles of butterflies and ladybugs.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students caterpillars, ladybug larvae, and art supplies to give us hands-on learning about life cycles.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: World of Inquiry School 58, Rochester, New York
Total: $176.54
Still Needed: $117.72 $65.07
Project description by Ms. Bird: I love that my students are naturally curious and full of wonder about the world around them. They ask thoughtful questions, make observations, and get excited about discovering how things grow and change. Their enthusiasm for hands-on learning makes life in the library exciting and meaningful.
The ladybug and butterfly life cycle kits will give my students the chance to observe real-life science in action.
Watching these insects grow and transform will deepen their understanding of life cycles, habitats, and the importance of caring for living things. These kits will turn abstract science concepts into engaging, memorable learning experiences that inspire curiosity and a love for nature.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
A short video of the ladybug life cycle.
This is our third week on this substantial project, and we’re making excellent headway!
Ms. Nemec teaches high school chemistry and earth science in Camden, NJ. She needs a good collection of lab kits to help her students explore topics in those subjects.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students hands-on STEM kits and materials to help students explore chemistry and earth science concepts through interactive experiments and real-world investigations.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Eastside High School, Camden, New Jersey
Total: $713.47
Still Needed: $272.18 $196.00
Project description by Ms. Nemec: In my classroom, science is more than just a subject—it’s an invitation to explore, question, and understand the world around us. My students are naturally curious, eager to experiment, and full of creative energy. Yet, without the right tools, that curiosity often remains confined to the pages of a textbook. To help them truly experience science in action, I’m seeking support for hands-on STEM kits that will allow my students to explore chemistry and earth science through experiments, models, and real-world investigations.
When students can mix chemicals to observe reactions, test soil samples, or model natural disasters, science transforms from memorization to discovery.
These STEM kits will empower my students to see, touch, and analyze the processes that shape our planet—like erosion, water filtration, climate patterns, and chemical reactions. Through these interactive projects, they’ll learn about the forces that sustain life on Earth and how chemistry and earth science work together in ecosystems, sustainability, and environmental preservation.
These hands-on materials are especially critical for my diverse group of learners, many of whom thrive when they can explore with their hands and collaborate with peers. Our school serves a community where access to scientific tools and labs is limited. These STEM kits will help level the playing field, giving every student—from visual learners to English language learners—the chance to engage deeply with science, develop problem-solving skills, and spark a lifelong interest in STEM fields.
Your donation will bring authentic science experiences into our classroom and give students the chance to learn by doing. By supporting this project, you’ll help my students become not only stronger scientists but also thoughtful global citizens who understand their role in caring for the planet. Together, we can turn curiosity into discovery and inspire the next generation of innovators.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
“Forensic Chemistry: Fuming for Fingerprints” is one of the requested labs. This video from the U.S. Secret Service explains how superglue is used in this process.
Our project #1 from last week was completed! A big thank you to our amazing readers!
Project #1, Play Based Centers for the New Year!: Ms. Sanders teaches kindergarten in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She was hoping for some new supplies to refresh her subject-matter “centers” and help her students keep progressing.
She writes: Thank you so much for your generosity and support of our New Year New Place Centers project. I am incredibly grateful for your kindness and willingness to invest in my classroom and my students.
Because of you, my students will have access to new, engaging materials that will enhance their learning and make our classroom an even more exciting place to grow. I cannot wait for these items to arrive so I can introduce them to my students—I know they are going to be thrilled and so eager to use them.
Your support truly makes a difference. It helps create meaningful learning experiences and shows my students that there are people who care about their education and success. Thank you for believing in our classroom and for starting our new year off in such a positive and impactful way.
DonorsChoose has developed the designation Equity Focus Schools to describe some schools that submit projects. They meet ANY of these criteria:
❧ At least 50% of students are Black, Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multiracial
❧ At least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch
❧ Rural schools where more than one third (34+%) of the students are eligible for free and reduced priced lunch
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 1208! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
