The best kind of shopping for your students? The kind where you don’t have to open your wallet… or leave your home.DonorsChoose.org is the nonprofit classroom funding site for public-school teachers. Here’s how it works:
- Through the site, teachers choose the resources they need (Hello, shopping!) and request them by creating a “classroom project”.
- DonorsChoose.org donors and partners fund the project.
- The DonorsChoose.org team orders the requested materials for you and has them shipped to your classroom door.
Since DonorsChoose.org was founded by a history teacher in 2000, teachers have used it to fund over $700,000,000 in classroom resources for their students.If you’re a teacher in a public school, you can create a project on DonorsChoose.org and get the materials you need — all in one place. We have more than 20 vendors integrated right into our site, so you're basically shopping at one giant online teacher mall. Here are of some of the stores you can visit through the DonorsChoose.org when you create a project.
AKJ Education
Books, STEM materials, digital favorites like BrainPOP and Codesters… plus a whole lot more. They also have book collections, e-books, and teacher guides. Most recently, one of the most popular AKJ items amongst our teachers has been the Breakout EDU kit, billed as “everything you need to play over 600 games created for the classroom.”
Lakeshore Learning
If you teach early-childhood or elementary students, Lakeshore was made for you. Flexible seating, books, carpets, classroom furniture, beginner chess sets, easels… Create a project and browse away! The best part of shopping at Lakeshore? Like us, they’ve served teachers from the beginning.
Staples Advantage
Staples is another store that’s a blast to browse because they have so much stuff, from laptops and standing desks to math manipulatives and colorful markers. (Personally, I love nerding out over the notebooks they have available. Be right back… I’m going to ask Charles if we can order some for the office.)
Best Buy Education
We’d recognize that yellow tag logo anywhere. Best Buy Education has loads to offer. As you think through your classroom setup this year, you may have a new TV, camera, or classroom MacBook in mind. This is the spot to shop. A new listening center funded entirely by classroom supporters? Yes, please.
More Superstar Vendors
Terrific specialist vendors provide materials through the site as well. Are you a dedicated music educator? Woodwind and Brasswind has what you need. A passionate science or math teacher? We’re proud that Carolina Biological and Frey Scientific are vendors on our site. Art teacher? Blick Art Materials is your spot to shop. Are you a coach, PE teacher, or recess supervisor? Head to DICK’S Sporting Goods.Looking for the perfect classroom magazine subscription this year? Check out Scholastic Classroom Magazines and TIME for Kids. Want to help your kids learn to be responsible researchers? Head over to Britannica Digital Learning. Are hands-on experiences your thing? Don’t miss the materials offered by Grainger.
Overwhelmed yet? Our shopping guide is pretty, contains everything you need to know, and is less long-winded than I am.
The list goes on. Teachers’ School Supply has furniture and tech (and if you have not checked out the KaBOOM! Rigamajig Collection they offer) you haven’t lived. Quill is classroom and office-supply heaven, and Nasco has so many types of items I didn’t even know how to classify them here (from leveled readers to flexible seating). CDW has you covered in the tech department, and Kaplan has all sorts of out-of-the-box materials (including puppets, dress-up clothes, and kitchen units for your next foray into dramatic play). School Specialty has tons of services and programs worth exploring, and — of course — you can always shop Amazon Business through DonorsChoose.org too. We’re always adding new vendors as well. Most recently, LEGO Education and Ward’s Science joined the fold!
The Common Thread
As a former teacher, I know outfitting your room and making sure your students have the supplies they need can be simultaneously stressful and and a lot of fun. I hope this gives you a few ideas about items you could use in your own classroom. I also hope it gives you a sense of some of the companies that know how special teachers are, and want to serve them.All of these vendors have one thing in common: They partner with DonorsChoose.org because they believe in the power of our public-school educators. You know your students best, and you know what they need. Let’s go shopping!
