DonorsChoose

All public schools aren't created equal. Schools that educate mostly students of color get $23 billion less funding, and as a result many students enter classrooms that don't have the books, technology, and supplies they need. Find out how you can make a difference: https://lnkd.in/eanyPyga #EquityInEducation

“When I was little, my mom would let me join her on ‘take your daughter to work day’ at her school. As a teacher, she knew how to help her kids excel and understood what resources could best support her classroom. It was interesting to see that the needs of schools and students really varied across the different places we lived.” - Julia P., Chief Operating & People Officer We’re continuing to celebrate #HispanicAndLatinxHertiage month by spotlighting Latino/a staff members. As a young Mexican American, Julia watched both her mom and grandmother win “Teacher of the Year” awards and she witnessed the impact her mom had on her students. Julia was born in California, and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Gallup, New Mexico, before her family settled near the US/Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. Going to school in various places across the country, Julia observed the diversity of student backgrounds and how cultural and environmental differences meant teachers needed different tools to meet their students' unique needs. Julia began her journey at DonorsChoose leading our student thank you operations. Seeing the letters and reading the words from students felt like a full circle moment. From the beginning, Julia has loved how DonorsChoose leverages technology for positive change in education. As a parent, Julia is committed to ensuring her children have access to culturally affirming educational environments. She intentionally chose a bilingual Spanish immersion school, so that her children can experience the richness of their Hispanic heritage in a supportive community. Thanks to Julia for sharing your story and for your dedication to this work!

“In today's digitally connected world, technology plays a vital role in education,” — Ms. Sanson, a school psychologist in Brooklyn, NY. From October 8-10, EDTECH WEEK by Started will gather leading innovators to discuss new ways of transforming education through technology. Among the guest speakers at #EDTECHWEEK are John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of The State University of New York and former U.S. Secretary of Education, and Thomas R. Bailey of Teachers College, Columbia University. In recognition of its 10th anniversary and World Mental Health Day on October 10th, EdTechWeek is spotlighting public school educators who advocate for mental health in the classroom. You can join EdTechWeek in supporting those teachers: https://lnkd.in/e6WgvcmX

We’re so thankful for our partners at Power Home Remodeling for their ongoing support of teachers and students! With one virtual town hall, POWER was able to bring together employees across 22 offices to share stories and discuss resources they wanted to give local classrooms. Together, POWER contributed $500,000 to fund 1,780 projects on DonorsChoose! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eKtBPtys

“My 7th grade French teacher, Ms. Bautista, had a DonorsChoose project funded for headphones, we needed them for our Regents exam. Years later, I still think about the lasting impact. As someone who went to a school with mostly Black and Latinx students, DonorsChoose made a huge difference.” - Maira V., Marketing Activations Associate In honor of #HispanicAndLatinxHertiageMonth we’re spotlighting Latino/a staff members. Maira has a deep-rooted passion for education, which stems from her having multiple family members as teachers. As immigrants from Colombia, Maira’s parents instilled in her the value of education as a pathway to success. Her connections with dedicated teachers during her own schooling, and her college experience majoring in education and sociology, played a crucial role in her desire to support students. While Maira didn’t have many Latino/a teachers growing up, she believes that representation in education makes a huge difference. Ms. Bautista was one of the few Hispanic teachers Maira had. Maira remembers how Ms. Bautista would make her family feel comfortable at conferences because she could speak Spanish and how she would connect closely with her students because she understood their culture. She inspired Maira to want to travel and make language connections between Spanish and French. For Maira, it’s important that educators understand the diverse backgrounds of their students because that knowledge helps students feel supported. And it’s crucial for teachers to have the resources they need to give that support. Thanks to Maira for sharing your story and for your dedication to this work!

"If we want a more diverse industry, new game designers with brilliant ideas can come from everywhere — so we’ve got to make sure that we’re representing and giving people opportunities to engage with the games industry as a meaningful life pursuit.” Jeffrey Burrell, we couldn't agree more. At DonorsChoose, we're honored to partner with Riot Games to bring these resources to students in public schools across the country! https://lnkd.in/ean3H7WD

Back to School is in full swing, and Good Day NY is ringing the bell for teachers! 🔔 Jinan O'Connor, our new Vice President, Brand Partnerships & Engagement, joined anchors Curt Menefee, NACD.DC & Rosanna Scotto to tell viewers how they can support local classrooms by funding the resources students need to learn. #GDNY Thank you to the Fox 5 (WNYW-TV New York) team for joining in the effort to rally support for our teachers and students! Mary Ann Zoellner Danica Nedela Yesenia Torres

What an amazing start! This month, the DonorsChoose community teamed up with the Gates Foundation to give $8.5 million (!!) in supplies to America's classrooms. In just one day, more than 43,000 donors showed up to support students and teachers. Too many students enter classrooms that don’t have access to the resources they need to learn. This special match was a big step toward a big change. Thank you to everyone who helped students all across the country get classroom supplies that will help them discover the joy of math, the excitement of reading, the magic of STEM, (and more!) this school year.

A special look into our partnership with Google.org’s $10M initiative to support teen mental health 💙 With Google, we’ve already provided resources to more than 3,500 high school teachers and we’re just getting started. High school educators, find out how you can get instant funding for your mental health projects and gain helpful resources: https://lnkd.in/ebxNPNCk