This week, we’re helping a Las Vegas classroom of special-needs children get hands-on materials to help them learn science, and a Virginia preschool revamp its library and add games and activities as well as books. 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.
I am not seeing the banner for the BHM matching-funds code for Black History Month any more, so it may be the funds have run out. Or it may just be some weird internet thing, so there’s surely no harm in trying that code at checkout to see if it works.
Here’s our new project #1 for this week. Ms. Cait teaches high school grades in Las Vegas, at a school specifically for students with disabilities (I linked its ‘about’ page below). She needs materials to engage her students in learning science.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students STEM kits to enrich their understanding of the physical world and set our science unit into motion.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Helen J Stewart Special School, Las Vegas, Nevada
Total: $159.29
Still Needed: $159.29 Completed, thank you! Please consider project #2 below.
Project description by Ms. Cait: This project aims to engage students in hands-on physical science learning through the use of magnets, batteries, lights, and fans. These materials will allow students to explore essential concepts such as magnetism, electrical circuits, and energy transformation. By experimenting with magnets, they will experience the invisible forces of attraction and repulsion, helping them grasp how magnetism works in real-world applications. Using batteries and lights, students will build simple circuits, learning about the flow of electricity and how energy powers devices. The addition of fans will let students explore how electrical energy can be converted into mechanical motion, reinforcing the principles of energy transfer and transformation. This interactive, tactile approach to learning will deepen their understanding of physical science and make abstract concepts more accessible and engaging.
My students are particularly special in that they are deeply curious and excited about science, often showing more interest when they can engage in hands-on activities.
Many of them face challenges accessing these kinds of materials outside of school, making this project a unique opportunity to foster their love for STEM. By providing these kits, I aim to empower them to actively participate in scientific discovery, promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. The goal is not only to teach science but to inspire confidence in their ability to explore and understand complex concepts. This project will give my students the tools to make science come alive, helping them develop skills that will serve them well in future academic and career pursuits.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Among the many science kits and collections requested, one of the kits includes a little “energy stick” like this one, that allows students to safely complete an electrical circuit that passes through their bodies!
We made some excellent progress on this project #2 last week, with the project’s matching grant plus the BHM match. We’ve got plenty of time to work on it!
Ms. Wilson needs to revamp and modernize the library at her Virginia preschool, in a small city south of Richmond. Currently, 2x matching funds are still available from The Cameron Foundation: Based in Petersburg, Virginia, The Cameron Foundation strives to transform the Tri-Cities and surrounding counties into a healthy, vibrant and economically vital region by strategically leveraging resources for community impact. It focuses on six outcome areas: healthy residents, education excellence, cultural richness, a vital economy, vibrant communities and dynamic nonprofits.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students a renewed and renovated library space with a variety of STEM and literacy toys for preschoolers!
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Woodlawn Learning Center, Hopewell, Virginia
Total: $934.28 (2x matching funds from The Cameron Foundation)
Still Needed: $635.46 $361.05 ($181 from us)
Project description by Ms. Wilson: Our preschool library is in desperate need of an update to better serve our young learners and provide them with an engaging, interactive space for exploration. Currently, the library is outdated and lacks the functionality necessary to support the developmental needs of our students. To help revamp this important area, we are requesting donations of materials and age-appropriate toys that will inspire creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning.
The goal of this project is to transform our library into an inviting, hands-on learning environment that encourages active participation.
By incorporating educational toys, interactive games, and engaging activities, we aim to create a space where children can explore new ideas, develop motor skills, and foster their imaginations.
With your support, we can create a functional, inspiring library space that will not only benefit the students we serve today but also future generations of learners. Together, we can build a brighter, more engaging future for our preschool community.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
There’s a great selection of STEM toys and kits requested in this project — as always, you can see the full list on the project’s page. This little mouse robot is similar to others we’ve seen requested, except it includes the parts you can see in this short video to build a course for it (including the cheese to lure it to the goal!)
Our project #1 from last week was completed! Many thanks to everyone who donated.
Project #1, 1st Grade Library Needed: Mrs. Taylor wanted to build a classroom library for her Philadelphia first grade.
She writes: Thank you thank you thank you! My students are so excited for their new library! Having books that reflect a variety of cultures, reading levels, and experiences is so important to their academic and social-emotional growth. You have made a huge difference in the lives of my students by making this dream become a reality!
| 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 1154! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
