Donorschoose.org

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[Kewalee]

These teachers inspire me as does being a part of KF!     Thanks for the new projects.

[cjp1973]

These teachers inspire me as does being a part of KF!     Thanks for the new projects.

Kelli, I so agree with you.  KF is an inspiring place, as well as these teachers!


Charmaine

[cjp1973]

Just a short update to a few of the projects that have been found to be added to the Kivafriends Giving Page

Immigration: Life Changing Events Book Club
Immigration: Life Changing Events is a new elective course designed to bring a diverse group of 9th to 12th grade students together to learn and grow while diminishing barriers. We are part of a large high school that includes many international and refugee students, and students of varying economic backgrounds and academic abilities.
Though the concept of this class is strongly supported, there is no funding due to the current economic situation. The purchase of enriching and engaging materials is entirely dependent upon grants and donations.
We need multiple copies of high interest books related to immigration in order to facilitate book clubs. The students will be able to select books that reflect their personal interests to read, discuss, and share with other school friends and families. The books will assist the students in learning to write their own immigration stories.
Your support will make it possible for these high school students to learn the immigration stories of others while they research and connect with their own immigrant histories whether recent or long past.

Network Computer for Special Needs Students
I work at a special education school, servicing emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, and other special education classified students. Our students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds; over 95% of the student body is eligible for free lunch and over 90% receive public assistance. These factors come together and place our children at a huge disadvantage, but we are committed to providing these students with a rigorous academic and therapeutic program. The school’s ethnicity is as follows: 60% Hispanic, 30% African American, 8% Caucasian, and 2% Asian.
I teach a program called ACE/HOP, which stands for Academic Career Endeavors/Hands-On Program, for special needs students. In this program, my students learn the basics of Math, English, Science, and Social Studies during half the school day. For the latter part of the day, they apply the skills they have learned with hands-on vocational training. Even though they are receiving vocational training, many of my students still aspire to attend college. They are encouraged to strive for their goals, both big and small!
I am teaching my students to become more comfortable with technology in the classroom, because this will help them prepare for college and the world of work. Most jobs require decent computer skills, and I want to infuse my lessons with computers. My students will be able to type their assignments, conduct internet research, prepare presentations, and even use computers for their "free time." Any help would be greatly appreciated.

And a Three Cups of Tea Project:
Encouraging Student Involvement Through Literature  FUNDED   
We never DO anything!" A common refrain heard around my school. I teach English Language Arts in a high needs middle school in New York.
This title-one school focuses on the fundamentals of learning, but it's time for education to branch out into new areas. After school programs focus on extra reading and math tutoring. Yet, I find that my students have responded most to cultural and personal themes rather than standardized preparations. Why not combine their needs with their interests and make a difference beyond the classroom?
I intend to introduce students to the world of student activism and involvement through literature. I will use a class set of Greg Mortenson's inspirational book "Three Cups of Tea" at the beginning of the year to address students' need to become more familiar with nonfictional texts. After finishing the text I will use a handful of other teen inspiration books during my lessons in order to inspire students to focus their inspiration in an extra-curricular activism group called "Class Acts" where students can begin to build their interests and the their identities by deciding what they stand for and making a difference together.
Your donations to this project has the added benefit of having your donation extend beyond my classroom. Indeed, your act of paying it forward will encourage my students to continue paying it forward in their own stylized way. Help us help others as well as ourselves.

[Mona]

We got a very nice thank you note today for one of the projects that got completed with the help of the new America's Back to School Challenge. They have at least three more projects in their lists that we have either on our Kivafriend giving page or on Charmaine's 36th Birthday giving page.

So let's hope they will help fund some more of our projects during the next days.
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Turning Dropouts into Successful College Freshmen

"Thank you so very much for funding our project to help my students achieve their dream of going to college. Having copies of the textbooks used at our local community college is going to be so helpful to our instructional program. We are going to now be able to provide tutoring to students who are taking classes at both schools concurrently. We are also going to be able to check books out to students who want to take a community college class and cannot afford the textbooks.

Words can barely express my gratitude. When you are in the classroom you sometimes feel as though you are alone in your struggles to help every child move forward. This is especially true when you are working with with at-risk teens in a high poverty situation. When we as a class receive support from donors like you, it is like we are no longer alone. The students I work with have been overlooked many times in their lives, and when someone sees their potential and promise it helps every other student in the school to believe in themselves too. Thanks so much for believing in us, supporting us, and giving us the tools to help kids reach for a better life and future.

With gratitude,
Mrs. G."

[Mona]

Oh, wow, this is so amazing! As I had hoped, one of our projects got funded in support of the "America's Back to School Challenge" I had mentioned in my previous post. I am especially happy as this project had only 3 more days to get its funding and it is one of my most favorite teachers on DC, Mrs. Helenthal.

Special Needs Reading Centers


And now comes the even better news. 
One of our other and at the same time one of our largest projects has been added to even two other giving lists, both in support of Adam Lamber - the GLOBERTS - International Fans of Adam Lambert and the ONTD_AI giving list. On all Adam Lamber giving lists $90,000 (!!!) have been donated so far and it has only started on the 20th August. 

The project they have chosen to add to their lists is also one of those close to my heart:

Elementary Writers Workshop for the Critically Ill


The last time I had checked the progress of this project (the day before yesterday I think) there were nearly $1400 left to fund. And now we are down to $1017.

Wohoo!!! 

Let's hope there will come much more support during the next days as the Adam Lamber challenge will run until 20th September. 

[cjp1973]

Another Three Cups of Tea project was funded today!!!  HOORAY!!!   

For those of you who have read Outcasts United or A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier here is a project you might be interested in.

Immigration: Life Changing Events Book Club
This project is requesting the above two titles as well as 5 additional immigration books.

[cjp1973]

I think that Mrs. Louis has decided to involve more of her 9th graders in the book "Long Way Gone" as well as Red Hand Day!  Way to go Mrs. Louis!!!  Her last project requested 22 copies of Long Way Gone, now she is requesting 45 more.  Here is more information on Red Hand Day

Little kids are soldiers? That's not real, Mrs. Louis... (2)

My low-income, mostly Hispanic ninth graders are used to classrooms with few materials. As a result, the type of independent learning and engaging in texts required for college is largely unfamiliar to them. We are a small school that is more like a community than a workplace. Sending all of our students, most of whom come from families in which they are the only high school graduates, to good colleges is our main goal!
My ninth grade students think Africa is a country. Last year, my class read "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier," and my kids were hooked. "Is this real?!" "What can we do to help?" "Where can we get more info?" With only one class set of books, we had to read the whole book in school. There was little time left over to do more research, write about what we had read, etc. If this year's students each had a copy, they would be able to engage in and respond to the literature at home. This way, we would have MUCH more time to research the reality of child soldiers, and practice advanced writing skills that would prepare them for college.
Last year, I organized a project around "Red Hand Day," a worldwide event in February that attempts to raise awareness about the plight of child soldiers. It was a HUGE hit! My students' biggest gripe, though, was that they wished they had more time in class to have prepared their "kick-ass" presentations. What they didn't know was that we could have done so much more if we hadn't spent nearly 2 months just reading the book in class first! I would LOVE for my students this year to feel like they are not being rushed, and are learning much more than my previous students!
Your donation will help my students realize that engaging in quality literature does not just happen in school, when a teacher makes them. School is a place where we can do amazing things with what we read, and I need the chance to prove this to them with a book for every student! Thank you!

[Mona]

I really really love the current America's Back to School Challenge. Not only have they funded the remaining $1000 for the Elementary Writers Workshop for the Critically Ill project within days, but they also keep up including more of our projects to their list. 

The last two examples I have seen are the one of our new kivafriend Kelli Non-Western Literature-Walking in the Footsteps of Others and the brand new project from Mr. D Critical Ill Traumatic Brain Injured Students Need to Write.

I am so looking forward to see the progress of these projects!!! 

[cjp1973]

As well as this project there are 14 other projects that kivafriends have requested be added to the list.  There is something that touches each of us, and maybe this or one of the other projects will touch you.  There are projects for supplies, books, art, special needs classrooms.  As school is getting back in session, there are some wonderful projects to help classrooms get the supplies to make their school days more engaging.

Netbook Computer for Special Needs Students  FUNDED

You can see the complete list here

[cjp1973]

There are 13 projects currently on the kivafriends giving page.  I would like to highlight 2 of them.  Perhaps you will see fit to find $1, $5 or maybe even $10 to help these projects reach completion.  And in turn allow the students and teachers to have access to some wonderful things for their classes.

Special Olympians Go For Gold!
My Special Olympians are going for gold! I teach a class of wonderful high school students on a center-based campus for special education students. This Title I site serves some of the most disabled students in the district.
Participating in Special Olympics is a vital part of our curriculum. Through this program my students learn to take pride in their accomplishments and to see growth in themselves. They learn important life skills such as turn-taking, sportsmanship and what it means to be a teammate. Participating in Special Olympics gives my students access to the community and to their typically developing peers who volunteer at the events. The sports skills that my students learn give them opportunities for recreation with their friends and families throughout their lives. Participation in Special Olympics is a life-long opportunity.
My students need two sets of bocce balls to be able to practice for the Special Olympics. We need two so that we can divide the teams by color, which will be much easier for my students to see and understand. If we have our own bocce set, my students will be able to practice on campus before the event.
With your generous donation, you will make it possible for Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver's legacy to live on in the students of today. They will learn skills such as sportsmanship and being a teammate and friend. On top of this, they will also gain self-esteem as they compete and win after all of their practice. Thank you for your time and for your donation; you have enriched the lives of some very deserving students.  This project needs only $90 to be funded

Bringing the Middle East to Rural Maine
My world literature students need help learning about the world outside of Maine. A class set of Marjane Satrapi's personal narrative, "Persepolis", about growing up in Iran, will help them recognize the universality of the human experience.  Please read entire description on the project page.  $175 is left to fund for this project

As always you can see all 13 projects here