Immediate Release: RESPONDING TO THE GREAT NEED IN EDUCATION FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
Donors Choose.Org
Our Beginning
DonorsChoose.org was pioneered by teachers at a Bronx public high school in the spring of 2000. Charles Best, then a social studies teacher, saw first-hand the scarcity of materials in our public school classrooms and the profound impact of this scarcity on kids' education. Looking for a way to address this problem, he sensed an untapped potential in people who were frustrated by their lack of influence over the use of their charitable donations. DonorsChoose.org, a website connecting classrooms in need with individuals who want to help, was born.
Our Mission
DonorsChoose.org is dedicated to addressing the scarcity and inequitable distribution of learning materials and experiences in our public schools. We believe this inequity is rooted in the following factors:
1. Shortages of learning materials prevent thorough, engaging instruction;
2. Top-down distribution of materials stifles our best teachers and discourages them from developing targeted solutions for their students; and
3. Small, directed contributions have gone un-tapped as a source of funding.
DonorsChoose.org will improve public education by engaging citizens in an online marketplace where teachers describe and individuals can fund specific student projects. We envision a nation where students in every community have the resources they need to learn.
Our Philosophy
DonorsChoose.org has attracted contributors from all walks of life through an approach called Citizen Philanthropy. No matter their contribution size, all donors are treated to a level of service normally reserved for established philanthropists. This includes:
Meaningful Choice: Whether interested in pre-K literacy or science field trips, donors can select the specific project that they feel will have the biggest impact.
Full Accountability: DonorsChoose.org provides "end to end" integrity. We screen each project proposal before posting it online; purchase the materials for the teacher (shipping directly to the school); and compile photographs, student thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter as feedback for the donor(s) who completes the project.
Portfolio Services: DonorsChoose.org contributors can track and manage their giving in "My Account," which shows the citizen philanthropist everything from the subject areas she/he has funded to the number of students she/he has helped. Tools such as GivingCards and gift registries allow donors to engage their children, friends, and family members in citizen philanthropy.
Our Projects
Project proposals at DonorsChoose.org range from "Where Did All the Pencils Go?" ($60), to "Dictionaries for At-Home Use" ($259), to "Geological Field Trip" ($2,000). Most proposals are not simply requests for materials but fantastic ideas for helping students learn. Thanks to the participation of dedicated and imaginative teachers, DonorsChoose.org has become a showcase of original and successful student projects.
Please see Case Studies for stories about selected projects created at DonorsChoose.org.
More questions? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions in the Help Section.
Donor and Media Inquiries
To receive an answer to your question as quickly as possible, check if someone has asked it already: 'What happens when a project expires?' 'Can I send you physical materials?'. The answers to these questions and more await you, right around the corner in the FAQ.
Contact Form for Donors
If you are a member of the media:
Click here to send us a message.
Link to DonorsChoose.org
Help us spread the word by using these images and snippets of html
to link from your site to DonorsChoose.org.
National Office
DonorsChoose.org
347 West 36th Street, Suite 503
New York, NY 10018
Phone 212-239-3615
Fax 212-239-3619
Teacher Inquiries
Be advised...
Before contacting DonorsChoose.org, please try answering your question/concern by visiting the links below. If your question could have been answered by reading one of these resources, we will not be able to respond. When you answer your own question using the links below, DonorsChoose.org can devote more time to getting your proposals funded!
Frequently Asked Questions -- Answers to all the common questions that teachers have.
Teacher Online Tutorial -- Review the series of Web pages that you clicked through when submitting your first proposal.
Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting a Proposal -- A printable guide that explains how to submit a project proposal at DonorsChoose.org.
If your question wasn't answered above...
If the links above do not answer your question, please describe your issue to us using our Contact Form for Teachers.
http://www.donorschoose.org/contact/contact.html?zone=0
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
What Do You See in These Pictures?
Who are these people? And, what are they talking about?
History is being made here. Can you explain how?
Who are the two witnesses? Who did the transcription?
These are records of history, to be enshrined and preserved throughout the ages.
Friday, November 14, 2008
From Virtual Classrooms to Virtual Schools
What the future in Education will look like
As we move rapidly from election to the reality of the future, we should be looking for ways into the new world of our vision, a new way of looking at and doing things, qualitatively different than the paradigms of the past.
It is not farfetched for a futurist to imagine a Virtual School to supplement and maybe someday supplant the old traditional classroom. In Florida, they have already started.
In Florida, Virtual School Could Make Classrooms History
OrlandoSentinel.com
11/12/2008
Thousands of Florida students may ditch public elementary and middle schools next year in favor of online classes at home -- an option that could change the face of public education.
A new law that takes effect next fall requires every district in the state to set up an online school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. They won't have to get on the bus -- or even get out of their PJs -- to head to school at the family computer.
A handful of elementary- and middle-school students already are experimenting with virtual classes, withdrawing from regular schools and enrolling instead for online instruction. Students take a full range of courses, including reading, writing, math, science, history, art, music and even physical education.
"I am so excited about this that my goal is to go all the way through 12th grade," said Joni Fussell, whose 8-year-old daughter has been studying at the kitchen computer in their Altamonte Springs home since January.
Read more… at http://www.districtadministration.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=51283
NEW SCHOOL OF HUMAN RIGHTS
In 2002, I began researching online educational tools after a student introduced me to www.math.com. These and other tools were later published on Juneteenth 2007 at
Virtual School Tools
We have long since entered the digital age. The government and many colleges and universities have published free educational tools online. But our public school system is far, far behind the curve in applied technology for the classroom. In Fort Worth, Texas, we are still upgrading Windows 95.
I remember how hard it was to get computers into the classroom in 1995-1996. The teachers were the first to balk, threatening to quit if they had to learn computers. By that time, students were already computer literate.
The biggest obstacle came from book publishers who perceived computers to be a threat to the traditional paperback textbooks. The fear still exists, but more from software developers who have contracts to produce computer programs to be used for classroom curriculum. Although free online tools are used by students, complicated cumbersome home-made programs do not integrate well. Software developers have no concept with different learning styles and techniques. They struggle simply to write a program that works. Online tools are much more user friendly and infinitely more engaging.
Background and History
If necessity is the mother of invention, then surely our short-lived community-based computer school discovered useable and effective free tools from online. We never received the public funding the program deserved. For the most part, I funded the computer school out of my own pocket, and by 2004 when we closed our doors, I manage to keep a little of the curriculum, which is posted at
http://educationofeddiegriffin.blogspot.com/2007/07/virtual-school-tools.html
Vision
Some time in the future, maybe far past my time, the classroom will be wired with new technology and innovations. Students will be engaged to learn by fascination alone… no motivation needed. And, they will learn at a rapid, efficient clip, based on new theories of learning.
But it is hard for the new to replace the old unless we have a national leader with a vision and foresight.
As we move rapidly from election to the reality of the future, we should be looking for ways into the new world of our vision, a new way of looking at and doing things, qualitatively different than the paradigms of the past.
It is not farfetched for a futurist to imagine a Virtual School to supplement and maybe someday supplant the old traditional classroom. In Florida, they have already started.
In Florida, Virtual School Could Make Classrooms History
OrlandoSentinel.com
11/12/2008
Thousands of Florida students may ditch public elementary and middle schools next year in favor of online classes at home -- an option that could change the face of public education.
A new law that takes effect next fall requires every district in the state to set up an online school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. They won't have to get on the bus -- or even get out of their PJs -- to head to school at the family computer.
A handful of elementary- and middle-school students already are experimenting with virtual classes, withdrawing from regular schools and enrolling instead for online instruction. Students take a full range of courses, including reading, writing, math, science, history, art, music and even physical education.
"I am so excited about this that my goal is to go all the way through 12th grade," said Joni Fussell, whose 8-year-old daughter has been studying at the kitchen computer in their Altamonte Springs home since January.
Read more… at http://www.districtadministration.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=51283
NEW SCHOOL OF HUMAN RIGHTS
In 2002, I began researching online educational tools after a student introduced me to www.math.com. These and other tools were later published on Juneteenth 2007 at
Virtual School Tools
We have long since entered the digital age. The government and many colleges and universities have published free educational tools online. But our public school system is far, far behind the curve in applied technology for the classroom. In Fort Worth, Texas, we are still upgrading Windows 95.
I remember how hard it was to get computers into the classroom in 1995-1996. The teachers were the first to balk, threatening to quit if they had to learn computers. By that time, students were already computer literate.
The biggest obstacle came from book publishers who perceived computers to be a threat to the traditional paperback textbooks. The fear still exists, but more from software developers who have contracts to produce computer programs to be used for classroom curriculum. Although free online tools are used by students, complicated cumbersome home-made programs do not integrate well. Software developers have no concept with different learning styles and techniques. They struggle simply to write a program that works. Online tools are much more user friendly and infinitely more engaging.
Background and History
If necessity is the mother of invention, then surely our short-lived community-based computer school discovered useable and effective free tools from online. We never received the public funding the program deserved. For the most part, I funded the computer school out of my own pocket, and by 2004 when we closed our doors, I manage to keep a little of the curriculum, which is posted at
http://educationofeddiegriffin.blogspot.com/2007/07/virtual-school-tools.html
Vision
Some time in the future, maybe far past my time, the classroom will be wired with new technology and innovations. Students will be engaged to learn by fascination alone… no motivation needed. And, they will learn at a rapid, efficient clip, based on new theories of learning.
But it is hard for the new to replace the old unless we have a national leader with a vision and foresight.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Secret Malcolm X recording with FBI
Listen closely to the FBI agents. Here is why Malcolm X was assassinated.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
TCU Community Scholars Online Application due November 15, 2008
It is an excellent program that pays full tuition for deserving students who attend the nine high schools… Eva Bonilla, Chair HWNT – FW Chapter - evabonilla@charter.net
The Community Scholars application is available online at the following link: http://www.admissions.tcu.edu/communityscholars/.
Please remind your students that by completing the application, the $40 fee will be waived automatically.
Community Scholars Program: Qualified Texas Schools
Dunbar (Fort Worth)
South Hills (Fort Worth)
Polytechnic (Fort Worth)
Trimble Tech (Fort Worth)
Diamond Hill-Jarvis (Fort Worth)
North Side (Fort Worth)
O.D. Wyatt. (Fort Worth)
Lincoln (Dallas)
Sam Houston (Arlington)
Information Source:
Michael J. Marshall
Assistant Director of Admission
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 297013
Fort Worth, TX 76129
817.257.7490
817.257.7268 (fax)
m.marshall@tcu.edu
The Community Scholars application is available online at the following link: http://www.admissions.tcu.edu/communityscholars/.
Please remind your students that by completing the application, the $40 fee will be waived automatically.
Community Scholars Program: Qualified Texas Schools
Dunbar (Fort Worth)
South Hills (Fort Worth)
Polytechnic (Fort Worth)
Trimble Tech (Fort Worth)
Diamond Hill-Jarvis (Fort Worth)
North Side (Fort Worth)
O.D. Wyatt. (Fort Worth)
Lincoln (Dallas)
Sam Houston (Arlington)
Information Source:
Michael J. Marshall
Assistant Director of Admission
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 297013
Fort Worth, TX 76129
817.257.7490
817.257.7268 (fax)
m.marshall@tcu.edu
Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarship Program Presents Information Forums
CALLING ALL TARRANT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS & PARENTS
Do you need $$$ for College???? Well, attend the program presented by Citi Financial and Renaissance Cultural Center on Saturday, November 1, 2008, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., and start earning and learning about the 2009 RCC Scholarship and the opportunities Citi Financial offers.
REMEMBER: Your attendance will count towards the volunteer hours needed to apply for the 2009 RCC Scholarship.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO EARN ONE OF:
10 to 20 - $2500.00 Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarships that will be awarded to attend the university, college, business or trade school of your choice!
5 - $1000.00 to $2000.00 Ashanti Monique Austin Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to attend Tarrant County College!
DON’T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY – ACT NOW – START EARNING THOSE REQUIRED WORKSHOP HOURS THIS SATURDAY!!!
For additional information or to sign up to attend –
Email: info@renaissanceculturalcenter.org or call
(817) 922-9999.
For the 2009 RCC Scholarship Application Deadline & Criteria,
Schedule of Upcoming Scholarship Workshops visit:
Web Site: www.renaissanceculturalcenter.org
Workshop Location:
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum
(Formerly National Cowboys of Color Museum)
3400 Mount Vernon Avenue, Ft. Worth, TX 76103
FREE PARKING – FREE ADMISSION – REFRESHMENTS SERVED
OPEN TO 9TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE AND PARENTS
2009 RENAISSANCE CULTURAL CENTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
INFORMATION FORUM SCHEDULE
(Attendance will count towards required RCC Scholarship application hours.
Open to 9th thru 12th Grade Students & Parents. Free Admission.)
“SO YOU WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE”
CITI FINANCIAL EDUCATION... Saturday, November 1, 2008
Super keys to financial success: banking and accounting skills, budgeting and credit worthiness.
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART I & II... Saturday, November 15, 2008
Transition from high school to college – learn new study skills, talk about student lifestyles, balancing schedules and time management skills and tools. Tips to launch your college years: get to know your instructor, degree planning, and college community involvement.
PRESENTATION SKILLS AND DRESSING TO IMPRESS……….Saturday, November 22, 2008
Discuss interviewing skills, business and social settings. Review clothing terminology - business, casual, formal, semi-formal.
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART III………………Saturday, December 6, 2008
Choosing the right college and identifying your needs (size, cost, location).
“I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING! GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS”
WRITING SCHOLARSHIP AND THANK YOU LETTERS…………Saturday, January 17, 2009 Learn writing techniques for various topics.
Do you need $$$ for College???? Well, attend the program presented by Citi Financial and Renaissance Cultural Center on Saturday, November 1, 2008, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., and start earning and learning about the 2009 RCC Scholarship and the opportunities Citi Financial offers.
REMEMBER: Your attendance will count towards the volunteer hours needed to apply for the 2009 RCC Scholarship.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO EARN ONE OF:
10 to 20 - $2500.00 Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarships that will be awarded to attend the university, college, business or trade school of your choice!
5 - $1000.00 to $2000.00 Ashanti Monique Austin Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to attend Tarrant County College!
DON’T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY – ACT NOW – START EARNING THOSE REQUIRED WORKSHOP HOURS THIS SATURDAY!!!
For additional information or to sign up to attend –
Email: info@renaissanceculturalcenter.org or call
(817) 922-9999.
For the 2009 RCC Scholarship Application Deadline & Criteria,
Schedule of Upcoming Scholarship Workshops visit:
Web Site: www.renaissanceculturalcenter.org
Workshop Location:
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum
(Formerly National Cowboys of Color Museum)
3400 Mount Vernon Avenue, Ft. Worth, TX 76103
FREE PARKING – FREE ADMISSION – REFRESHMENTS SERVED
OPEN TO 9TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE AND PARENTS
2009 RENAISSANCE CULTURAL CENTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
INFORMATION FORUM SCHEDULE
(Attendance will count towards required RCC Scholarship application hours.
Open to 9th thru 12th Grade Students & Parents. Free Admission.)
“SO YOU WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE”
CITI FINANCIAL EDUCATION... Saturday, November 1, 2008
Super keys to financial success: banking and accounting skills, budgeting and credit worthiness.
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART I & II... Saturday, November 15, 2008
Transition from high school to college – learn new study skills, talk about student lifestyles, balancing schedules and time management skills and tools. Tips to launch your college years: get to know your instructor, degree planning, and college community involvement.
PRESENTATION SKILLS AND DRESSING TO IMPRESS……….Saturday, November 22, 2008
Discuss interviewing skills, business and social settings. Review clothing terminology - business, casual, formal, semi-formal.
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART III………………Saturday, December 6, 2008
Choosing the right college and identifying your needs (size, cost, location).
“I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING! GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS”
WRITING SCHOLARSHIP AND THANK YOU LETTERS…………Saturday, January 17, 2009 Learn writing techniques for various topics.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Success Should Build Upon Success
Twenty-five students and four teachers from Nagaoka, Japan visited two Fort Worth ISD middle schools recently, participating in the annual Sister Cities International Ambassador Middle School Program.
The Japanese guests were hosted by students and families of William James Middle School and Daggett Montessori.
The Ambassador Program is a cultural and educational exchange for 8th graders. The students and teachers visit Fort Worth for approximately nine days each September. The goal is to provide an international experience that inspires global understanding, provides an opportunity to share and learn about educational systems, cultural heritage and traditions, and develops new international friendships, while gaining a personal experience of living with a host family.
Eddie Griffin Commentary
As the world becomes more a global community, cultural exchange program such as Fort Worth ISD Ambassador Program opens the door to an international education classroom. What if our children could speak and write Japanese, the kids could become lifelong classmates, through online communications.
We must teach our children new languages and expose them to new cultures.
Remember the commerical on television about the Japanese middle school student and the American middle class student looking directly at each other on opposite screens. The object was to see who would blink first.
The is the international classroom of the future: Online and tele-video vis-a-vis exchanges in Real Time teaching-learning experience.
South Hills High School students who demonstrate extraordinary leadership or academic gains will be the recipients of a PEAK Scorpion Spirit shirt. The students will be allowed to wear these spirit shirts on designated days and will receive special privileges.
This is just one of the innovative programs being launched in the District's PEAK schools. PEAK -Public Educators Accelerating Kids - is a pilot program for 15 FWISD campuses.
The Japanese guests were hosted by students and families of William James Middle School and Daggett Montessori.
The Ambassador Program is a cultural and educational exchange for 8th graders. The students and teachers visit Fort Worth for approximately nine days each September. The goal is to provide an international experience that inspires global understanding, provides an opportunity to share and learn about educational systems, cultural heritage and traditions, and develops new international friendships, while gaining a personal experience of living with a host family.
Eddie Griffin Commentary
As the world becomes more a global community, cultural exchange program such as Fort Worth ISD Ambassador Program opens the door to an international education classroom. What if our children could speak and write Japanese, the kids could become lifelong classmates, through online communications.
We must teach our children new languages and expose them to new cultures.
Remember the commerical on television about the Japanese middle school student and the American middle class student looking directly at each other on opposite screens. The object was to see who would blink first.
The is the international classroom of the future: Online and tele-video vis-a-vis exchanges in Real Time teaching-learning experience.
South Hills High School students who demonstrate extraordinary leadership or academic gains will be the recipients of a PEAK Scorpion Spirit shirt. The students will be allowed to wear these spirit shirts on designated days and will receive special privileges.
This is just one of the innovative programs being launched in the District's PEAK schools. PEAK -Public Educators Accelerating Kids - is a pilot program for 15 FWISD campuses.
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