Donors Choose Update

Wow! I originally picked five projects to include in my DonorsChoose challenge, and within a few days, one of the projects was fully funded thanks to my readers and other donors around the country. As of right now, four of the six projects currently in my challenge have been fully funded, and I'm going to have to pick some more projects to tickle your generous impulses.

Let me share with you the feedback I've gotten from teachers whose challenges I donated to:

Pond Biology: a universe in a drop of water is now becoming a reality for the students of Mr. Enguidanos, who wrote you this note:

We just received word that our proposal has been funded thanks to you! I can tell you that my students are extremely excited and eager to work with the materials you provided for them. We will be using them as soon as they arrive and will let you know about all the adventures we have, and how fun it is to learn while we take care of our tiny neighbors in the pond! Thanks again.

This project provided a plankton net and ID book to a classroom of at-risk students so that they can study the ecology of three ponds near their school.

And another:

"Mini Multitudes - Support Future Scientists!" is now becoming a reality for the students of Mrs. Clancy, who wrote you this note:

What a wonderful email to receive. Thank you so very much for your donations to purchase microscopes and slides. Our students deserve to have all the advantages that other schools have and now we will! The microscopes will be used for health and science lessons and projects. To hear the oohs and aaahs of children seeing the microscopic world for the first time is spine tingling. Who knows...maybe we will launch the next scientist who discovers the cure for cancer. Thank you again for your generosity.

This project has supplied 15 cordless microscopes and plant/human cell slide sets to a 5th/6th grade classroom with a 94% poverty rate.

Thanks to those who helped make these teachers' projects a reality, but there is still a great need and an unbelievable number of projects waiting to be funded. I've added three more projects to my challenge, and here's are teasers for two of the projects still waiting for your help.

Stupendous Scientists Start Young
"I am a kindergarten teacher in a low-income school. My students love hands on experiments and activities although materials are always lacking. For the past two years critical science lessons have not been taught due to missing materials. ...I would like to enhance my science instruction by creating a science discovery center as well as engage the whole class in science excursions that will be exciting, engaging and of course educational....Please help! My students love to utilize hands on manipulatives. ...My project needs class sets of magnifying glasses, magnets, and science kits to create a science exploration center for my kindergarten students. The cost of this proposal is $480..."

I feel the earth move...
"Welcome to the wonderful world of 4th and 5th grade public school Montessori classroom! This urban setting offers children from lower socioeconomic homes opportunities to explore their world and take responsibility for their own learning. It is an exciting program with a deep need for materials that allow for inquiry, hands-on exploration, and discovery. Landforms and Earth movements are an integral part of Montessori study. This base of knowledge sets the stage for further study into migration patterns, cultural histories, and environmental studies. Because these children have limited experiences in the world around them, it is crucial to bring those experiences into the classroom. The Earth Movement module and landform materials will allow students to create and investigate this topic through active involvement in materials. They become engrossed, develop new questions, and begin the process of research based on manipulation of materials. This new knowledge will then be applied and synthesized into a final project....My project needs a Science Module called "Earth Movements", a landform demonstration kit, 3-D Landform manipulative, and a resource book with experiments called "How the Earth Works" in order to complete hands-on investigations into the wonders of the Earth's formations. The cost of this proposal is $726..."

Lots of people donating small amounts of money can make a huge difference in the lives of these students and teachers. So skip tomorrow morning's latte and use your spare change to get the next generation excited about science.