This week, we’re again helping Texas classes in middle and elementary grades to learn from home, with books and headphones in one case, and in the other, with an innovative piece of technology that will allow their teacher to make all manner of learning materials affordably, with enough copies for every student! 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 and math projects for red-state public schools in low-income neighborhoods. As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that facilitates tax-deductible donations to specific, vetted projects in public schools.
Last week, we had two pretty substantial projects on our plate, and we didn’t complete either one. However, I’d be surprised if we could not at least finish this one this week. As we noted last time, this Texas teacher is requesting a machine that would make it easy and inexpensive to create individual sets of all kinds of learning aids for her students, for use at home or distancing in school. (Check out the video!)
MAIN PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students a chance to be hands-on while at home. With the Cricut Maker, I can create games and activities for my students to learn at home.
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: Cunningham Middle School at South Park, Corpus Christi, Texas
Total: $464.08
Still Needed: $101.66 Completed! Thank you! Another project below.
Teacher’s Comments from Mrs. Juarez:
My Students: My students have not been in school since March 6th. Our area is being hit hard by the coronavirus, and we will be looking at a new stay at home order soon. Whether or not the schools fully open, many of my students will be at home doing virtual learning.
My students learn best through hands-on activities which may prove difficult for the majority in a low-income household.
I send home small games and activities for my kids to get that hands-on learning. My kids need to view learning as fun again not just answering online quizzes. With more preparation time, I have been researching after listening to their input from the spring semester. I think I can make their learning fun at home as we did in school. Fun is the best way to learn!
My Project: This past spring, I struggled to engaged my students. I did receive one-time funding to purchase science kits. I was so excited as were the kids who received the kits, but I soon realized the costs of buying each child individual items! I would not be able to do that for my students this fall.
So many kids would love to learn in a way that is hands-on and fun!
I have learned from many other teachers how to create amazing games and activities using the Cricut.
Puzzles and matching activities can be created from paper and sent to their homes. Kids will be so happy to receive little learning gifts from their teachers.
While studying the body systems, kids will receive small models of bodies with removable organs to learn their structures and functions as well as organelles to arrange within the cell. Then kids can match organs and organelles that have the same function. While studying chemistry, students can work with atoms to create molecules. While studying Earth and Space Science, I will send home parts for kids to create models.
Many teachers are sharing ideas to create amazing learning games created on the Cricut I would love to share with my students.
Once back in the class, we will continue these individual games and activities to prevent the sharing of supplies while protecting students from COVID. I also plan to help kids stay safe by labeling students' masks with their names using vinyl Iron-on. My colleagues and I can create reminders of our safety protocol for their desks, bathrooms, and other areas.
Overall, a Cricut Maker will be an amazing tool to help make learning fun at home and safe while at school!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
We’re making progress on this long-term project as well. It had run out of matching funds last Sunday, but plenty of time remains to complete it before the project’s deadline.
LONG-TERM PROJECT
Resources: Help me give my students amazing picture books to make math come alive!
Economic need: Nearly all students from low‑income households
Location: J R Harris Elementary School, Houston, Texas
Total: $630.84
Still Needed: $239.31 $151.95
Teacher’s Comments from Mrs. Madrigal:
My Students: My students are the best! I love how my babies never give up.
They are a smart, resilient, creative bunch who demonstrate their love for learning even when it gets tough.
Their eagerness to grow, to do better everyday melts my heart. The pandemic threw us a curveball, but we will succeed. We are on our way to an exciting 4th-grade adventure.
My Project: The headphones are for my students to use at home. During the spring, I noticed many of my kids got distracted while working at home among family members going about their daily chores. These will go on a kit to send home.
I have added math picture books that my eager learners will use to create context and make math learning fun!
The rest of the items will come very handy for teaching remotely and for their home kits. Lastly, PENCILS are a must for either learning face-to-face or safely from home.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
We have a bit of space here this week, since we didn’t complete a project last week, so I thought I’d share this little video from DonorsChoose. It’s a couple of years old now, but it’ll still make you cry.
Our Dollars at Work
In May, we helped a North Carolina second grade who needed basic school supplies at home, so they could follow along with their lessons. Mrs. Williams had a plan to make up colorful drawstring backpacks for each student with pencils, crayons, notebooks, and other needed supplies, and distribute them at the meal-pickup center. The project was Materials to Make Distance Learning More Engaging! (More photos at the link.)
Whooooo Hoooooo! Thank you awesome people for funding these items for my students! With the majority of teaching and learning going virtual this coming school year, these items will be utilized daily! Students who received these bags were so excited to get them. I know the importance of having these items necessary and on hand for each lesson taught by their teachers. Thank you some much for supporting education.
Without donors like you I would have never been able to do this on my own. God Bless!
Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project combats the anti-science push in conservative America by funding science and math projects in traditionally red-state classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose.org, 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 science or math projects, preferably 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 842! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.org.
