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"Public school teachers often need help funding classroom projects and a gift card from DonorsChoose is the perfect way to help educators in need. When you purchase one, you can send to your children's teachers, educators in your local area or colleagues at work. You can purchase a card in any denomination from donorschoose.org and have it delivered via mail, email or print and hand-deliver yourself." Read the full story on tinybeans.com.

“A DonorsChoose survey found that Black male educators take on a disproportionate amount of work to support their students inside and outside the classroom. This is the largest-ever survey examining the Black male educator experience from their decision to teach to the impact they make in communities.” Read the full story on theroot.com.

Three months into 2022, classroom life has not slowed down for our teachers or students. Despite another challenging year, DonorsChoose educators are still caring for their kids and bringing excitement into their classrooms. Check out some of the ways that teachers are going above and beyond!

Beyond the Books

Many teachers love to take their classroom lessons beyond the books. They know that when students enjoy and are active during the lessons, the knowledge stays with them. To bring learning to life for her students, Mrs. Hunt built a new world: Huntsville Hospital! With stations to practice reading and math skills, all the kiddos enjoyed a positive diagnosis!

Mr. Hart took a different approach and chose to let his students do the building! While his “construction students” went over the length and metric units, he acted as foreman.

Beyond the Classroom

DonorsChoose teachers are known for taking care of their students, even beyond the classroom. Over the last couple of years, they have seen firsthand how the pandemic has affected families and have stepped up to help. 

While food shortages have affected many communities, teachers used DonorsChoose to ensure their students had the snacks and meals they needed. Here, you can see the smiling faces celebrating the snacks that Ms. Auter organized for her students through DonorsChoose.

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Mrs. Byrd didn’t let Texas winter storms stop her students from learning. Instead, she created a project for winter gear to keep her students warm!

Beyond the Student

Teachers can see things the average person can’t: they see the faces and lives of their students coupled with their potential to change the world. 

To encourage her students to see their own potential, Ms. Miller makes sure to celebrate Black History Month with books about people from their culture and community excelling. Since students are so different, there’s no one resource that comes in a fits-all size. By filling her classroom with books featuring diverse characters, Ms. Miller is ensuring all her students feel seen and special.

Through rain, snow, and pandemics, we will always find teachers going the extra mile for their students. What are you loving about the projects you are seeing on DonorsChoose?

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more inspiration, and share with us your DonorsChoose success stories!

At DonorsChoose, we believe in community. It’s our community of donors and partners that bring classroom dreams to life, our thriving community of more than half a million front-line educators (including more than 90,000 educators of color), our community of vendors shipping resources to classrooms across the country, and our staff community that energetically connects the dots in this ecosystem. 

Community is also at the center of racial equity work, and as an organization committed to combating racial inequity, we think it’s important to elevate the voices of our communities and to share how we’ve reoriented our thinking on a number of fronts — including the words that we use to describe identities. Since launching our Equity Focus last September, here’s where we are on this journey. 

In a nutshell: We’re listening.

We’re listening to what teachers tell us through their projects.
Our Equity Focus rallies our entire organization around a new goal focused on schools where at least 50% of students are Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial, and at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch. In shaping our Equity Focus, we’ve relied not only on research showing how a student’s race impacts their access to equitable education, but on what we’ve learned from listening to the language in our teachers’ projects. Our #ISeeMe campaign was born out of hearing teachers tell us about the importance of “students seeing themselves” in their learning environments. 

We’ve built a framework around listening to our customers, with an eye toward equity. 
We’ve developed a set of principles that guide how our DonorsChoose racial equity work shows up in the world and the words we use when talking with our customers. Two of these principles are: “We believe people of color should feel welcomed, affirmed, and respected when engaging with our channels and as part of our community”; and “we believe we all play a role in combating inequity, including racial inequity.”  We recognize that as the world continues to change, our customers will change, and we’ll evolve as an org. So will these principles.

We’re evolving as we listen to what teachers tell us, when we ask. 
When we first started shaping our Equity Focus, we used the terms Black, Latinx, and Indigenous to describe the teachers and students at the heart of this work. And while we’ll never purport to propose a one-size-fits-all solution to how we describe students and teachers who identify as such, we learned two things about these language choices after surveying our teachers late last year:

1.  More DonorsChoose teachers who identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/x prefer we use “Latino/a” or “Latino” when reference to country of origin isn’t possible. 
   
2. More of our DonorsChoose teachers who identify as Native American/Indigenous/First Nation/American Indian prefer we use “Native American”. 

While "Hispanic" was as popular as "Latino/a," additional teachers preferred variations like "Latino" and "Latina," which argued for using some derivation of "Latin."  We're defaulting to using the term "Latino" as our best effort to listen to the community concerned while also trying to avoid presupposing a gender binary. While we’ll default to use of Latino, such language preference confirmed by teacher voices, we will strive to be as inclusive as possible in thinking about the context of when we’ll stray from this use. We’ll consider: When might we be able to use a teacher’s country of origin to better describe that teacher and their community? How might use of Latino, Latina, or Latino/a impact members of the community who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming? We’ll continue to adjust to meet the expectations of our teacher community, and we’ll start by mirroring our language choices with what teachers are telling us in the data.

We’re engaging with our staff, their stories, and race-equity scholarship to help us make tough choices on this journey. 
I’m especially grateful to a host of colleagues, including our Employee Resource Groups: DALE (the DonorsChoose Association of Latinx Employees), BOSS (the Black Organization of Soulful Staff), RAD (Representing Asians at DonorsChoose), our Equity Council, and Steve To (our Director of Equity & Experience) for always championing the voices of the community in our race equity work. While our entire team is committed to addressing inequity, it’s these folks whose identities, stories, and family histories are baked into the decisions we make. 

As we round out this school year and as I lead our organization into becoming more race equity-forward in our impact on students and teachers, we’re deeply committed to making intentional choices about the language that we use. As a Black woman, I bring my own roots to the table in these conversations, always recognizing that race has a painful and complex history and therefore requires care and intentionality in the words we use. 

When in doubt, or when the answer is unclear, we’ll look to the community to guide our decision making so that we can ultimately rally as many resources around students and teachers as possible.

Celebrating women’s contributions to history is essential all year round. By giving students the chance to read books by and about incredible women, students of all genders can be inspired by these often-untold stories that have shaped our world. 

Whether you’re looking to integrate women’s history into STEM lessons, diversify your classroom library, or find the perfect role model for that one special student, explore these 15 titles by women authors that our teachers love.

Elementary Grade Books by Women Authors

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

At 9-years-old, Audrey Faye Hendricks was the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. Her story shows students (and reminds adults!) that you’re never too young to stand up for what’s right.

“Texts such as The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist... provide the classroom with a diverse, relevant and engaging books and integration of content. Making meaningful connections and having a shared text to refer to in class makes discussion rich with high impact.” —Mrs. Sorgenfrei, Rich, Complex Texts for Future Leaders

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World, by Vashti Harrison

This gorgeously illustrated New York Times Bestseller shines a light on women from around the globe who’ve changed the world. From physicist Chien-Shiung Wu to novelist Toni Morrison, Little Dreamers celebrates bold thinkers and creative innovation.

The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by John Parra

Award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome shares the story of journalist and Civil Rights activist Ethel L. Payne. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago during the Great Depression, Ethel L. Payne went on to become one of the first Black press correspondents for the White House.

“Books like The Power of Her Pen about Ethel L. Payne highlight inspirational Black women… These books will go a long way in representing the differences of my classroom on the outside, while we also highlight the beauty and similarities that we find on the inside.” —Mrs. Everage, Books That Reflect Our Diverse Classroom & World

Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles, written by Michelle Meadows and illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in America, with a combined 30 Olympic and World Championship medals. Flying High tells the story of how hard work and love from her family helped her get there.

Ambitious Girl, by Meena Harris

Ambitious Girl shows young girls that their boldness and personality will never be too much. Niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, Meena Harris brings the joy of being surrounded by ambitious women and girls to life.

Middle School Books by Women Authors

Black Women in Science: A Black History Book for Kids, by Kimberly Brown Pellum

Black Women in Science features 15 biographies of trailblazing women. Students can dive into Black history and read about Dr. Alexa Irene Canady, the first Black woman to become a neurosurgeon in America; Annie Turnbo Malone, the first Black woman millionaire in America; and many more.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sánchez

New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Finalist, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter tells the story of Julia, who has to find her place in her Mexican-American family after her sister’s death. This instant classic strikes the perfect chord between moving and laugh-out-loud funny.

“Being able to read a story and relate to a character is what allows a child to fall in love with reading as a whole. My students are very interested in learning about current events through accessible texts. Erika Sanchez's I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is exactly that.” —Ms. Schmitt, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter: Reading and Relating

Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga 

Jasmine Warga tells the story of a young girl who has to leave Syria for the United States. The novel in verse explores identity and belonging, and what it means to find yourself in a new place.

Women in Art: 50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World, by Rachel Ignotofsky

For young artists ready to dive head first into art history, Women in Art shares the biographies of women artists from 1262 to the present. From favorites like Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe to contemporary artists like Maya Lin and Sokari Douglas Camp, students are bound to be inspired.

Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

In her autobiographical novel in verse, Jacqueline Woodson shares what it was like to grow up in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s.

“This memoir focuses on the 1960s and 70s where the civil rights movement and the remnants of Jim Crow laws greatly impacted the author's childhood and family life. Through this memoir, students will learn about this important period in history and the ways in which the conversation about race in America has changed since then.” —Mrs. H., Deepening Our Representation of Diversity Through Brown Girl Dreaming

High School Books by Women Authors

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s 1969 autobiography is an unprecedented work of storytelling and literature. The classic examines racism and trauma, and pushes the genre of autobiography to new heights.

“Learning to read for fun increases wisdom, knowledge, and morality, encouraging children to demand more from themselves and expect more out of life. Maya Angelou's story is just the book I need to help my students learn to dream and achieve.” —Mr. Thomas, Help Us Learn Why The Caged Bird Sings

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Written in 1937 during the Harlem Renaissance, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a pillar of American literature. Zora Neale Hurston’s examination of race, gender, and love remains essential.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta Lacks had her cells cultured by doctors without her permission or knowledge, and those cultured cells went on to change medical science. Rebecca Skloot’s book interweaves the story of Henrietta Lacks with science writing and an examination of racism and medical ethics.

“I am planning to give each of my science students a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to incorporate into our study of cells and the human body. Students will make connections from the book to what is happening today in both the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of systemic racism.” —Ms. Schuettpelz, Focusing on Social Justice in Science Class

In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez

This piece of historical fiction gives breath to the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and shares a story of courage and political resistance.

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo

Written by renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo, The Poet X tells the story of a young slam poet in Harlem as she grapples with her mother’s religion and her place in the world.

Spot a book you’d love your students to read? Create a project today: http://www.donorschoose.org/teachers

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the Black experience: the culture and the people. Year-round, DonorsChoose teachers find new and exciting ways to show their students how Black history and culture shape our country today. As we reach the end of Black History Month, we’re showcasing some of the creative ways teachers are honoring the past and recognizing the contributions of Black leaders and individuals throughout the school year.

Creating Art to Explore Identity

Ms. Palmiere is helping her students learn more about Black history and culture through art therapy. During the month of February, they learn about important events and figures in Black history.  After reflecting on these conversations, they create clay sculptures of themselves to express their creativity and identities.

Cultural awareness and tradition play important roles in helping young children develop a positive sense of identity and build self-esteem. - Ms. Palmiere, Making Myself With Model Magic: Cultural Identity Art Therapy!

See Ms. Palmiere’s project

Celebrating Culture With Performance

"It is important to teach young children just how influential African American people have been throughout history, and exactly what they went through to have their voices heard." — Ms. Allen, We are the Future of Black History

This year, Ms. Allen’s students are celebrating Black History Month by performing a song in their school’s annual Black History Month program. To bring this performance to life, Ms. Allen created a project for African attire. Her students’ faces lit up when the costumes arrived and wearing them helped them gain a love and understanding for the rich history and culture of the Black diaspora. 

See Ms. Allen’s project

Bringing Books to Life

When students see themselves represented in the stories they read, they see that their stories matter and their self-worth increases. To help her students understand how important they are, Ms. Rivas fills her Kindergarten classroom with a range of books featuring Black stories. Her book list included historical books like The Story of Ruby Bridges and fictional picture books like Girl Like Me. 

“It is so much fun to hear the students say, ‘they look like me’ or ‘I can be like her/him too.’ Students see the world through books and it's important that they see themselves represented in the world.” -Ms Rivas, Black History Month

See Ms Rivas project

Every Black History Month, we have the opportunity to honor our country’s past and celebrate the possibilities for a more just future. On February 9, 2022, we launched our first partner-backed Black History Month campaign to rally resources for Black teachers, Black students, and learning environments that illuminate Black experiences throughout history and today. 

We saw so many beautiful moments of joy, celebration, and learning throughout the day. We hope you’ll dive into our five favorite moments from our Black History Month campaign!

Our community funded more than 4,273 projects

We’re so impressed by all the classroom dreams brought to life! Teachers’ ideas inspired more than 8,700 donors to give. Ms. Young, an early childhood teacher from Michigan, shared what the funding means for her class.

“My amazing class of Black students should be able to see themselves reflected in the books that they read and the stories that they hear. I desire to have my students grow as readers but also hear them say the magical words, ‘That book looks like me.’”

Celebrities cheered on Black educators and students

Yvette Nicole Brown and Angie Thomas are two long-time supporters of DonorsChoose teachers, and shared words of encouragement to teachers and students.

Companies, foundations, and philanthropists created a coalition of support

Nine of our funders teamed up to fund this first of its kind match and reach as many classrooms as possible. Funders included Nic Stone, W. Kamau Bell, Yvette Nicole Brown, Amanda Seales, Smart Funny & Black, Amazon Business, Angie Thomas, OshKoshB’Gosh, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Davidson Kempner, Equitable Foundation, PwC, Chegg.org, Kellogg's Mission Tiger, The Allstate Foundation, LOFT, and Ulta Beauty. 

We’re so grateful for their support!

MahoganyBooks left a surprise message for our Teacher Faceboook Community

Ramuda Young, co owner and founder of MahoganyBooks, shared a message of support to teachers in our Facebook Community.

Teachers shared what this match meant to them

We believe it’s always a good time to move the equity needle and make it possible for students to see themselves in their resources and learning environments. Let's keep the momentum going! 

Donors: support a teacher seeking resources that support Racial Justice and Representation in the classroom.

Teachers: request resources that will help your students thrive.

"All it takes is one teacher to change the trajectory of a student's life forever. For Anna Oge, a science teacher and dance instructor at North Miami Senior High school, teaching is not just a profession. It's a calling. Inspired by the teachers of her own youth, Oge recently shared in a Good Morning America segment that she wants her students to have everything that she received from her teachers when she was growing up, and more. Oge who has taught at North Miami Senior High School since 2010, is a prime example of the powerful, positive impact that teachers can have on their students." Read the full story on parents.com.

Frontline teachers know best what their students need to recover from COVID-19 disrupted learning. By partnering with DonorsChoose, state education departments can efficiently offer every public school teacher in their state the chance to receive the learning resources that their students need to get back to normal during the 2021-2022 school year. Education leaders in Delaware, Hawai’i, Nevada, Utah, and Oklahoma are paving the way for these state-wide initiatives, and have already created incredible impact across classrooms.Interested in learning more about how your state DOE could work with DonorsChoose? Connect with Ali Rosen, our Head of Foundation Giving at DonorsChoose.org/State-Leaders to learn more.

Delaware

In 2020, County Executive Matt Meyer, a former public school teacher, came to DonorsChoose with the idea of directly funding teachers’ projects with pandemic relief funds. In 2021, he dedicated $1.3 million in CARES Act funding to fund classroom projects from more than 1 in 5 teachers across Delaware.

• 1,617 teachers with projects funded
• $1.3 million in CARES Act funding deployed
• 6 weeks from announcement to funding allocated

Nevada

Nevada DOE was the first state department of education to channel federal relief money through DonorsChoose, launching their campaign in 2021. They dedicated $8 million, and more than half of the teachers in Nevada participated in this initiative.

Hawai’i

The Hawai’i DOE used their own funds to support teachers through DonorsChoose. Instead of tapping into pandemic relief funding, they launched a $3 million public-private partnership Salesforce Chair & Co-CEO Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne. Because so many teachers were enthusiastic about this partnership, Hawaii dedicated $1.5 million, and the Benioffs, who have strong ties to the islands, gave $1.5 million to match funding from the state.

• 1,960 teachers with projects funded
• $1.6 million in funding deployed
• 4 weeks from announcement to funding allocated

Utah

The Utah State Board of Education allocated $12 million in federal relief funding to champion the efforts of teachers to support the various needs of Utah’s K-12 students and find creative ways to address the impacts of COVID-19 on learning. With this investment, 12,000+ Utah educators will receive up to $1,000 in funding to support their classroom projects.

Oklahoma

Starting on February 4, the Oklahoma State Department of Education will apply up to funding to Oklahoma classroom teachers’ projects requesting resources to support students in response to COVID-19.

‍DonorsChoose District Partnerships‍

Dozens of Local Education Associations (LEAs) have partnered with DonorsChoose at the district level to help their teachers and colleagues leverage DonorsChoose more effectively. By joining our no-cost District Partnership Program, district leaders receive exclusive benefits, including early notification of funding opportunities from corporate donors, technology guidelines, and robust reporting to monitor trends in the resources teachers are requesting. To join, complete the brief form and a member of the DonorsChoose team will reach out to you with next steps.

"'GMA' surprises North Miami Senior High School science teacher Anna Ogé, who also instructs the school's dance team." Watch the full story on goodmorningamerica.com.

"Robin Palomares, a teacher in Baltimore, goes above and beyond for students who don’t have the tools they need for their education." Watch the full story on goodmorningamerica.com.

"Donny Carswell of Glenn Hills High School in Augusta, Georgia, goes above and beyond for his students by helping them run their very own morning show." Watch the full story on goodmorningamerica.com.