Rockstar fundraiser—and 4th grade teacher—Elizabeth has raised more than $8,000 for classroom supplies by crowdfunding and applying for a classroom grant on AdoptAClassroom.org.
See how donations powered Elizabeth’s classroom transformation:
From classroom to home
Elizabeth spends her own money each year to purchase basic school supplies, books, and technology for her classroom. She spends $500 each year on books alone to keep her classroom library stocked. If her classroom library wasn’t self-funded, it would be almost nonexistent.
“I spend about $1,000 out of pocket each year on classroom supplies,” said Elizabeth. “Prior to crowdfunding on AdoptAClassroom.org, that figure was two or three times higher.”
When Elizabeth entered her classroom for the first time it was empty. Now it is not only stocked with much of the materials her students need, Elizabeth went a step further to create a dynamic environment that contributes to her students learning. Using her AdoptAClassroom.org donations, she purchased alternative seating options, an online translation service for her Spanish speaking students and their families, books, technology items, and basic school supplies.
“Before I crowdfunded with AdoptAClassroom.org, my students definitely had less access to technology, and our classroom environment felt less like a home than it does now,” said Elizabeth. “Now, students comment when they walk into the classroom, ‘Wow, it feels like a home. This is incredible.’”
Supporting Highest-Need Teachers
A Scholastic survey found that 63 percent of top-performing teachers cited poverty as being one of the barriers to learning that most affects their students. With more than half of America’s kids in public school living in poverty, it’s far too difficult for teachers to fill the supply gap on their own.
Donors to the AdoptAClassroom.org Highest-Need Fund support the teachers and their students who need supplies the most. The teachers who have received Highest-Need Fund grants are forever grateful for the donors, who eased their financial burden and made it possible to purchase the supplies they know their students need to learn and succeed.
“I would sincerely like to thank the donors who have given their resources to support teachers through AdoptAClassroom.org,” says Elizabeth.
You can transform high-poverty classrooms into welcoming educational environments by making your gift where it’s needed most.