The DonorsChoose Blog

The latest news, tips, classroom stories, and inspiring insights from our community.

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10 Teachers Win $5,000 DonorsChoose Gift Cards from ‘iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher’ Campaign

After over 60,000 nominations from the iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher contest powered by DonorsChoose, 10 public school teachers from across the United States have each won a $5,000 DonorsChoose gift card to help fund their classroom supplies

iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher, powered by DonorsChoose
Driving Employee Engagement with Heartfelt Connection
Image of three students doing science activities
Five teachers, $500,000 in STEM excellence
On the left it says "Let's explore Lunar New Year" surrounded by animals in the Chinese Zodiac. On the right is the Panda Express logo
Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Match Offer + Free Curriculum from Panda Express
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Posts for Teachers

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Students Speak: This Book Changed My Life

As 4th grader Isaac says: "If you don't see yourself in books, you might feel invisible." We asked students of all ages about the books that changed their lives. Here are the authors, books, and characters that inspired them.

Photos of 8th grade student Lauren and 4th grade student JJ reading books.
A happy teacher standing in their classroom
9 Questions to Refresh Your Teaching Philosophy
A word cloud of all the words that DonorsChoose teachers use to describe themselves in order of of times they were mentioned in a survey. The words Dedicated, Creative, Passionate, Grateful, Hardworking, Innovative, Motivate, and Caring are the biggest. All the words in alphabetical order are: Adaptable, Adventurous, Advocate, Amazed, Ambitious, Appreciative, Awesome, Blessed, Busy, Collaborative, Committed, Compassionate, Concerned, Curious, Cutting-edge, Devoted, Different, Driven, Eager, Effecting, Empathetic, Empowered, Encouraging, Energetic, Energized, Engaged, Engaging, Enthusiastic, Exciting, Experienced, Flexible, Focused, Fortunate, Forward-thinking, Friendly, Frustrated, Fun, Funny, Generous, Giving, Growing, Happy, Hard-working, Helpful, Honest, Hopeful, Humble, Humbled, Imaginative, Inspired, Inspiring, Inventive, Invested, Invigorated, Involved, Kind, Leader, Learner, Learning, Loved, Loving, Loyal, Lucky, New, Nurturing, Open, Optimistic, Organized, Overwhelmed, Patient, Persistent, Positive, Prepared, Proactive, Professional, Reflective, Resilient, Respectful, Risk-taker, Student-centered, Successful, Supported, Supportive, Technological, Tenacious, Thankful, Thoughtful, Trustworthy, Understanding, Working
The Words That Define Our Teachers (According to 4,500 of Them!)
An array of books by Black authors
21 Must-Have Books by Black Authors For Your Class Library
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Posts for Education Supporters

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10 Teachers Win $5,000 DonorsChoose Gift Cards from ‘iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher’ Campaign

After over 60,000 nominations from the iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher contest powered by DonorsChoose, 10 public school teachers from across the United States have each won a $5,000 DonorsChoose gift card to help fund their classroom supplies

iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher, powered by DonorsChoose
Image of a school hallway with artwork on the walls
3 High-Impact Ways to Give Beyond Classroom Projects
Two students are looking at a laptop
3 Simple Ways to Make a Big Difference This School Year
Three students sitting in a classroom with one student raising a hand.
Announcing Season 2 of the DonorsChoose Podcast!
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Explore local classroom projects

Explore projects from teachers down the street, in your hometown, or in school districts with the greatest need.

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Posts for Partners

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Thousands of communities across the country team up with Panda Express to help local students learn

Panda Express inspired customers to give back alongside their meal, helping fund $15 million in teacher-requested supplies through DonorsChoose

Driving Employee Engagement with Heartfelt Connection
Image of three students doing science activities
Five teachers, $500,000 in STEM excellence
Graphic of a blue trophy above the DonorsChoose logo
Dream Teams: Award-Winning DonorsChoose Collaborations
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Posts for Education Leaders

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These Districts are Partnering with DonorsChoose to Promote Equity

Find out how our Equity Accelerator Initiative (EAI) is helping districts provide equitable student access to the learning materials.

4 DonorsChoose Partners Who Harnessed the Season of Giving to Connect With Their Communities
Lessons From the Front Line: Transforming Classroom Insights Into State-Level Impact
DonorsChoose Announces Impact of 2024 Connecticut Educator Support Fund
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Ideas for the Classroom

10 Outstanding Teacher Ideas to Encourage Experiential Learning in Your Classroom
The Free Career Curriculum from Amazon Future Engineer That Inspires Students and Teachers Alike
Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Match Offer + Free Curriculum from Panda Express

Funding Opportunities

How Our Community Celebrated 25 Years of Choosing Students & Teachers
Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Match Offer + Free Curriculum from Panda Express
Empowering the Next Generation: How The Allstate Foundation Fuels Impact through Youth-Led Service

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