I just took a look over at Sciencewomen’s site and see from their sidebar widget than they’ve already raised $395 from 9 readers as I write this. Now, I realize I only got my post up late last night and they’ve had their announcement for DonorsChoose up since early yesterday morning but still. Doesn’t a story like the following just break your heart? This proposal only has three days left, but your dollars will be matched by Philadelphia Friends! Can’t we come up with $257 for these kids and their teacher in the next three days????

“Miss, I need a pencil!” “Miss, I can’t take the notes, I have no paper!”

This is what I hear day in and day out in my classroom. I teach in an inner city school in Pennsylvania. Most of my seventh and eighth grade math students struggle financially (well, their families do), so they are unable to bring supplies to school. I have a large population of special education and English-as-a-second language students. Having the proper supplies would help them to do better in school.

The main obstacle that my students face is that they don’t have the appropriate supplies to succeed in school. I’m not talking about graphing calculators or laptops, I’m talking about simple supplies such as notebook paper and pencils. I’d like to set up a “community center” within the classroom where students can use materials as they need them.

The resources I would need to benefit my students consist of pencils, markers, notebook paper, chart tablets, construction paper, and graph paper. These are the basic supplies needed to get through everyday and to keep the lessons stimulating.

Your help will ensure that my students have the necessary materials to get through every school day with success. Too many times I have students who don’t succeed because they don’t have pencils and paper, and this would prevent that problem. It’s a simple solution to a simple problem, and you can be a part of that solution.

Yes! If you want to be part of the solution, go here and help fund the “Material Maintenance” proposal. Thanks for considering it.