This week, we’re helping elementary-school classrooms in Georgia and Texas get a chance to learn science with some hands-on experiments instead of just filling out worksheets. 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.
This week, we’re hoping to complete a couple of projects that benefit from matching funds. One of them is our #2 project from last week, now moved up here, and the other is a new one that is on a short deadline but I think we can handle.
Last week, this was a brand-new project, with $324 needed. We made a lot of progress on it, and I bet it’s soon completed with the help of a matching grant from Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation!
Ms. Mitchell teaches both third and fourth graders in this town in southwest Georgia, and she needs some science resources for both grades.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students kits to learn about ecosystems and regions of Georgia.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Cooper - Carver Elementary School, Dawson, Georgia
Total: $323.59 (2x matching funds from Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation)
Still Needed: $197.41 Completed, thank you! See you next week!
Project description by Ms. Valisa Mitchell: We are studying ecosystems and animals on the 5 regions of Georgia in Science and Social Studies. My 4th graders will use the ecosystem kits to learn how organisms work together in different environments. My 3rd graders are studying the 5 regions of Georgia. They will make dioramas of animals and plants in the different regions of Georgia. I have learned over the years that children learn and remember they learned when they are exposed to hands-on kits. These kits will be used to help them remember the information needed to understand the standard.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
The third graders are studying the five eco-regions of Georgia. Georgia Public Broadcasting has made a set of five nice little videos about them, narrated by park rangers. Playlist of all five here.
In a small town about 100 miles north of Houston, Ms. Tullos hopes to get some hands-on science materials for her second graders. As with last week, this project is a one-shot deal that will have expired before next Sunday, but we not only have matching funds from Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation; we also have a donor who has pledged to cover the last hundred dollars if we (and the other donors we attract) can get to that point. I think we can do it — we’re so close, and I know we are all in harmony with the goal of science lessons not being limited to worksheets and videos!
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students materials to do hands on scientific experiments and to expand their natural curiosity.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Corrigan-Camden Elementary School, Corrigan, Texas
Total: $543.20 (2x matching funds from Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation)
Still Needed: $392.02 Completed, thank you! Two for two!
Project description by Ms. Tullos: We need more materials since we have 3 second grade classes and we share. While videos are easily accessible, I believe the best way to teach is to show not tell. They remember these experiences. It creates a fire to learn about the world around them.
I love science and want to reinforce the natural curiosity that second graders have with meaningful, educational hands-on experiences.
Right now, the majority of our science lessons are worksheets or videos, I am working very hard to change that for our students.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
Science popularizer Steve Spangler gives a TV demonstration of one of the coolest items being requested for this project, a “tornado tube”.
Our #1 project from last week was completed, coming absolutely down to the wire and then, TA-DA!:
Project #1, STEM Kits: Sparkling Minds of Young Scientists: Mrs. Dougherty needed help to supply her middle-school students in a Texas border city with what they’ll need to compete in a nearby STEM competition.
She writes: We can’t you enough for your generosity. Our scientists are working diligently to create their models and study for their upcoming events. They were excited to know that our project was funded. On behalf of our team thank you so much for inspiring and sparking minds of young scientists.
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 1094! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.