With the world being a difficult place for those of any marginalized background, one of the things those of us who are looking to do something can do is donate to those in need. Thousands of teachers each year ask for a little help with seeking supplies for their classrooms via Donors Choose; organizations that do work with at-risk communities like prison populations seek spare change to advocate for and bring literacy to those groups, and nonprofits that provide necessary resources to empower women and people of color are always hoping for a few bucks to make their vital work possible.
Enter: Friday Fund Days.
Book Riot readers have helped fund hundreds of classrooms over the last few years, and we’ll help bring funds to hundreds more. Each Friday, we’ll highlight two classrooms or other literacy-focused, important projects in hopes you’ll help them reach their goals to bring literature, advocacy, and education to others.
Even if you can’t spare money, any social sharing you can offer to the projects each week absolutely helps: you never know who’ll find it and have the means by which to make the project’s fundraising goals reached. More, you’ll bring awareness to the unmet needs in communities around the world, as well as right in your own back yard.
When all else feels hard or hopeless, remember that you can and do make a difference.
THIS WEEK’S PROJECTS
Motivating Learning at Home, Brooklyn, NY ($292)
Help me give my students puzzles, writing materials, board games and math games to help with remote learning.
My Students
My students are full of energy and are ready to explore their world. However, my students have a hard time understanding the world around them.
My students are diagnosed on the autism spectrum and most are low functioning.
Due to my students’ disabilities, they face many obstacles daily, including communicating, daily life skills, understanding the world around them, and dealing with why things change.
My students are all currently isolated at home, most do not go outside due to not having backyards. Since they are isolated at home my students engage in online tasks for academic instruction which includes Google classroom, Boom learning cards and watching videos. My students attend school for 12 months due to their disability and with schools most likely closed into the fall my students will be doing this for July and August too.
My Project
These materials will be shipped directly to a second grader’s house for him to use during remote learning and therapy sessions. My student is doing well with online tasks however, he really needs in person hands-on activities to help with his social skills, math skills and for writing.
These items will motivate him to continue his learning at home.
My student loves puzzles so I am requesting new puzzles to help motivate him at home to complete academic tasks. I am requesting operation file games, number and letter writing dry erase books so he can complete academic tasks off of the computer. I am requesting Pop the Pig and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel board games so he can work on his social skills with his sisters as well as his fine motor skills. I am also requesting magnetic tiles because they are great for fine motor, social skills as well as an imaginative play motivator.
I am hoping by having these materials provided for my student I can help ease some of the stress of not being in school currently. I am also hoping having some new motivators will help him stay occupied and complete academic tasks.
Supplies for Success! Temple Terr, FL ($167)
Help me give my students pencils, crayons and writing journals to continue success at home.
My Students
I have a bright and cheerful class full of creative thinkers this school year. As distance learning continues, not all of my students have the ability to continue their creative thinking while at home. My goal is to change that.
By donating to this project, my students will gain the ability to succeed in writing and completing work at home.
Parents are currently utilizing materials they have at home to help students succeed but not everyone has access to these materials.
My Project
My students come from so many different home lives but they all have the same purpose. These students want to learn and succeed. As we have made the transition to distance learning, many of my students do not have the materials needed in order to successfully complete their work.
Students will not be able to retrieve their materials from school until the school year is over.
This leaves students without simple things like a writing journal, pencils and crayons. We continue to practice sentence writing while we are home but some students are practicing writing using blank paper with no lines.
With your help my students can have a writing journal at home along with pencils and crayons to help them complete daily assignments.
Whether you can donate a dollar, donate fifty dollars, or donate a share on social media, you make a difference!