Past projects 40
Scripts We Live By
Funded Mar 25, 2025I am thrilled to share that our "Scripts We Live By" project has been fully funded! Thanks to your belief in the power of literature to transform young minds, our senior students will now have the opportunity to explore Charles Yu's award-winning novel Interior Chinatown and engage with its thought-provoking themes of identity, representation, and self-determination.
Your generosity extends far beyond the physical books you've helped provide. You have given our students the invaluable gift of seeing themselves and others through new perspectives, questioning prescribed roles, and imagining possibilities beyond societal expectations. As our students prepare for their next chapters in life, the conversations and insights sparked by this novel will equip them with critical thinking skills and empathy that will serve them well beyond the classroom. We look forward to sharing the impact of this project with you as our students begin their journey through Interior Chinatown and discover the power of writing their own authentic stories.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.Help Us Access Books that Highlight Humanity!
Funded May 7, 2024I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation, which has enabled us to purchase copies of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel "Klara and the Sun" for our students
"Klara and the Sun" is a deeply moving and thought-provoking book that explores themes of love, loss, and what it means to be human. This captivating story explores the bond between a young girl and her artificial friend, Klara, in a future world where advanced technology is transforming human relationships. The novel's unique perspective on human-ness, purpose, and the power of human connections makes it an excellent choice for teen readers who are navigating their own journeys of self-discovery and understanding their place in the world, especially in a time of technological change.
Ishiguro's beautifully crafted story encourages readers to reflect on the value of friendship, the complexities of growing up, and the importance of questioning the status quo. By engaging with this powerful narrative, our teen readers will not only enhance their literacy skills but also develop a greater sense of empathy, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
Your support in providing access to this remarkable book will have a lasting impact on the lives of our young readers. Thanks to your generosity, they will have the opportunity to explore new ideas, broaden their horizons, and develop a lifelong love for literature.
Once again, we are tremendously grateful for your contribution and your commitment to supporting the intellectual and personal growth of our teen community.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 9 other donors.Tom Lake and Our Town in Conversation
Funded Oct 11, 2023Thank you so much for helping me provide access to Ann Patchett's book "Tom Lake." Your support has made it possible for my students to experience the beauty and power of Patchett's writing. This book, with its focus on relationships, growing up, and navigating family is so apt for my 12th graders as they begin to transition to adulthood.
The impact of your donation is extending beyond just my students. This book is serving as our first book for our Parent-Teacher book club, which allows parents to read the book alongside their student and allows teachers to build relationships with parents through literature. I hope this book will help foster a love of reading and an appreciation for literature within our school community.
Your contribution to this project has made a real difference in my class and I am deeply thankful for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 12 other donors.Literature to Challenge and Open Minds
Funded Dec 1, 2021Thank you so much for your support in getting these particular books into the hands of my students.
My 10th graders just finished reading Klara and the Sun. While reading this book, students conducted research and presented on Artificial Intelligence and other advanced technologies. We had continual discussions about how humans view AI, what obsolescence means to something that may be able to "think", how humans might treat AI. One student wrote "Honestly, I loved this book. The entire plot felt like an ancient fairy tale mixed with a Robocop-esque capitalist dystopia (if only Klara took down a drug ring, then this book would be perfect), and it somehow worked."
My 12th graders are just finishing The Awakening. Admittedly, they are less excited about the novel, but I can't wait to see what they make of it tomorrow when we have our socratic seminar.
Thank you again for making this possible. Your support is deeply appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Igniting Home Fires
Funded Oct 22, 2021Thank you so much for your support. While we have not yet read Home Fires by Kamila Shamsie as a class, a few of my older students have picked up the book because they are interested in reading work by authors of South Asian descent. This is the next whole class novel pick for my 10th Grade British Lit class and we have so much planned.
Home Fires is a reimagining of Antigone with an examination of the wide-ranging relationships that British Muslim characters have with the British government. These relationships include a Muslim Home Secretary and his son, two sisters who are a daughters of Jihadi father and have a brother is trying to return after joining ISIS.
We will read it and Antigone together, considering how this ancient story has resonance in the modern world. We will also read poetry by other immigrants to Britain and how they write about their fraught post-Colonial relationships with the country.
It is exciting to share modern British literature; I deeply appreciate your support in diversifying the curriculum.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 12 other donors.Bringing Klara to the Classroom 2.0
Funded Nov 10, 2021Thank you so much for your support. My 10th grade students are enjoying reading Klara and the Sun as part of a larger unit on technology and its impact on people. We started this unit reading "Lifecycle of Software Objects" a novella by Ted Chiang. This story became fodder for a Socratic Seminar where students shared their ideas on how to define what it means to be human and whether or not code can ever participate in informed consent.
Students went on to conduct some preliminary research on artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. This allowed students to practice using research databases and creating annotated bibliographies. They will be presenting their research in a few weeks.
Now we are diving into Klara and the Sun. The book itself starts with little introduction or explanation to the world that Kazuo Ishiguro constructs. Students are working to figure out how the world operates, what an AF is, and how Klara is shaping their understanding. They seem to be deeply engaged, most students reading far ahead of what is assigned. Yesterday, they created preliminary concept maps of how characters connect and we will have another Socratic Seminar in a few days.
I am deeply grateful that you made this possible. I cannot thank you enough for bringing this book to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 5 other donors.Bringing Klara to the Classroom
Funded Oct 22, 2021Thank you so much for your support. My 10th grade students are enjoying reading Klara and the Sun as part of a larger unit on technology and its impact on people. We started this unit reading "Lifecycle of Software Objects" a novella by Ted Chiang. This story became fodder for a Socratic Seminar where students shared their ideas on how to define what it means to be human and whether or not code can ever participate in informed consent.
Students went on to conduct some preliminary research on artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. This allowed students to practice using research databases and creating annotated bibliographies. They will be presenting their research in a few weeks.
Now we are diving into Klara and the Sun. The book itself starts with little introduction or explanation to the world that Kazuo Ishiguro constructs. Students are working to figure out how the world operates, what an AF is, and how Klara is shaping their understanding. They seem to be deeply engaged, most students reading far ahead of what is assigned. Yesterday, they created preliminary concept maps of how characters connect and we will have another Socratic Seminar in a few days.
I am deeply grateful that you made this possible. I cannot thank you enough for bringing this book to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and one other donor.Help Save Eyes with a Second Monitor
Funded Mar 1, 2021Thank you so much for helping me get an extra monitor to save my old eyes. This entire past year of distance learning meant I spent and inordinate amount of time squinting at a screen.
To be able to have the ability to use more "visual" real estate while conducting zoom class was so helpful. I could see the zoom session I had open, keep spotify up and running for quick song and dance breaks, as well as run a presentation and keep a second copy of my slides up and going to edit on the fly. Having the right tech to make it work was important because it created a more seamless experience for my students.
The monitor made a difference and your support made that possible. I am extremely grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
The Perks of Being in a Book Club
Funded Feb 13, 2015Thank you so much for your kind and generous contribution. While three of these books were kept in the classroom for our library which students borrow from regularly, many were given to students as part of a book club. Increasing students' access to books is an integral part of our school's focus on literacy. While students in more affluent communities take books for granted, our students do not always have access to print rich environment. Purchasing books that student then own is a particular type of gift: one that allows students to re-read and revisit books they have loved. This book continues to be a favorite; your donation made it possible to reach those students.
Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
Financial Literacy and The Working Poor
Funded Mar 19, 2015Thank you all so much for your generous contributions that made this project possible. It has been exciting to begin the school year with access to new books and new curriculum. Planning for and working with The Working Poor has been enlightening. There have been so many interesting points of intersections between the book and what is going on in the world, whether it is a papal visit or issues around considering college.
In the end, your support has made it possible for my students to work with an interesting and challenging non-fiction text while challenging their own assumptions about work and poverty.
Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gullo
This classroom project was brought to life by PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. and 6 other donors.