Budget cuts at California's public schools often mean doing without books, materials and equipment. The impact is felt deeply in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), where supplies are often critical to learning.
An innovative nonprofit organization is empowering teachers to raise funds from individual donors via the Web. Teachers simply post requests on DonorsChoose.org, and individuals give to the projects of their choice. DonorsChoose.org delivers requested materials, and donors receive photos and thanks from teachers for each funded project.
Founded by a Bronx high school teacher in 2000, DonorsChoose.org has raised more than $46 million in donations and helped nearly three million students at almost 34,000 schools. Through its California Partnership initiative, Chevron provides additional funding for projects in STEM education by matching individual donations made through DonorsChoose.org to schools in Bakersfield, the Los Angeles basin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
“Our students don't necessarily have a lot at home. Being able to access technology and materials at school is very important to them. DonorsChoose.org and Chevron fill a critical gap and the teachers love it.”
— Susan Petersen, principal of Delta View Elementary School in Pittsburg, California
Delta View Elementary provides K-5 education for 685 students, the majority from socioeconomically, disadvantaged homes. Of the school's 22 teachers, 11 had projects funded by DonorsChoose.org in fall 2009. Donations have included digital projectors, document cameras, math materials, compasses and books.
“The projector helps us a lot, especially for science and math. If we can see it better, we can understand it better. ”
— Patrick Mizerski, Delta View fifth grader
Colin Jones teaches chemistry and biotechnology at Mt. Diablo High School in Concord, California. He recently received funding of $3,500 for specialized equipment, including scales, a centrifuge and a micropipette. Without DonorsChoose.org, these tools would be beyond the reach of the school science department's meager budget. With them, Jones and his students can manipulate DNA, grow bacteria and analyze proteins.
"The hands-on experience is invaluable," says Jones. "My students are gaining knowledge, like understanding how a cell works, that they can use to solve problems in their jobs and careers. You can't learn to bake without a kitchen. Without support from DonorsChoose.org and Chevron, it would be a lot harder for us to do these things."