As teachers in the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) gear up for the start of the school year on Aug. 13, they’re also trying to ensure that they have all the extras that make a classroom a positive learning environment.
This year, dozens of SCUSD teachers have turned to Donors Choose, a nonprofit fundraising site specifically designed to help teachers pay for the educational tools that help inspire students to learn.
“Donors Choose is a great platform to connect donors with teacher requests for supplemental classroom supplies above and beyond the basic supplies provided by schools,” said Jennifer Dericco, SCUSD’s public information officer. “Teachers and students benefit from additional individual classroom libraries, organization supplies, and more.”
Rachel Hager, a science teacher at Cabrillo Middle School, has been teaching for the last 21 years. She agrees that Donors Choose helps teachers bridge the gap.
“Donors Choose donations are greatly appreciated because they allow me to obtain materials that I otherwise would not receive,” said Hager. “I have used Donors Choose to post what I think are my ‘dream’ Science lessons and projects.
“The materials I request through Donors Choose allow students to use handheld digital tools to do STEM projects in my Science classroom,” continued Hager. “We already have a well-stocked Science supply room, and the district is great at providing a yearly Science budget. The projects I post on Donors Choose have allowed me to obtain not essentials but a wish list of materials to go above and beyond! For example, the Pocketlab Thermo sensors enabled students to create digital graphs as they were conducting their experiments.”
Posting on Donors Choose also helps new teachers who don’t have all the extra classroom pieces that teachers have collected through years on the job.
Sofia Casillas begins teaching a fourth-grade dual language immersion class at Scott Lane Elementary School next week. For her, it’s about building out the learning environment for students, and that includes everything from books for her classroom library to a classroom rug to chair bands for students to fidget with in class.
“I added these materials into my Donors Choose project to provide my upcoming students with a comfortable classroom where they feel comfortable and also have access to classroom supplies like grade-level books,” said Casillas. “As a first-year teacher, I want to create a classroom library for my students to either spark or maintain their love for literature. I also want to have flexible seating for them, whether it’s at their seat where they can have a band to kick and fidget with or a new rug to sit on during carpet time.”
Casillas says that because she is working at a Title 1 school like Scott Lane, a caring classroom environment is essential.
“Title 1 schools have a high percentage of students living in low-income households, and oftentimes, school/their classrooms are their safe spaces,” said Casillas. “Being able to provide them with a well-supplied and comfortable environment is the least I can do, and Donors Choose is helping me create that for my students.”
While Casillas’ wish list has been fulfilled, Hager is still looking to complete funding for her projects. Other SCUSD teachers are also looking for funding. To find local teachers you can help, visit DonorsChoose.org and search “Santa Clara, CA.”
