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Good morning all,

Last week’s assignment for the grad course I’m currently teaching at Walden University focuses on grants and grant writing, and I’ve been awash in student papers loaded with great sites and resources for anyone looking for classroom resources. I wanted to profile one site in particular, DonorsChoose.org, which has connected interested donors with worthy projects for years, resulting in (literally!) tens of millions of dollars being spent directly in classrooms like yours. The part I like best about this site is the proposals are short, sweet and to-the-point. Need resources for a cool project? DonorsChoose.org offers you an alternative to spending weeks filling out long, complex forms and waiting for months to hear back. The best part? Donors are constantly prowling this site looking for deserving classrooms and teachers who can use a little help, and they can choose to fund all or part of a request. Check out this featured proposal, Through A 3rd Grader’s Eyes:

I teach a 3rd grade class in Houston, TX. My job is very challenging because my school is located in a low socio-economic area. The demographic is 97% Hispanic. Unfortunately, I’ve found that the students have very low expectations for their futures, or they have no idea of what their potential could be.

This weighs heavy on my heart because I want them to believe that they can do anything. I arrived at the idea to submit this proposal one day, when I was wondering what my students see when they look around their environment. That’s how I came up with the title “Through A 3rd Grader’s Eyes.”

I plan to have each student have a turn to use the camera for a day at a time and take pictures of whatever interests them, as long as they can explain to the class why they chose that particular subject. It can be in the garden, at lunch, at recess, in the classroom,or anywhere. Of course we would take the camera on field trips. I hope to get a glimpse into their insight on all subjects.

We would print the pictures and create an ongoing album documenting their entire 3rd grade school year. I hope to inspire them to have confidence in their abilities and to take responsibility for creating something uniquely theirs. Maybe this will inspire someone to want to become a photographer, photojournalist, or just start their creative juices flowing. That would be awesome if I was able to instill in them the fact that they can do whatever they choose. The sky’s the limit!

My project needs a Kodak digital camera, photo printer, and one photo paper bundle. The cost of this proposal is $632, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment.

How cool is this? Her request is modest, will impact and engage her students, and I would be surprised if it doesn’t get funded within the week.

The whole thing is explained brilliantly on their About page. Check this site out for yourself and help spread the word!

Hope this helps,

-kj-