You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Menu
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Harrington from Landover, MD is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Harrington is requesting

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

My students need pens, pencils, tissue paper, stress balls, and color overlays to help with reading.

  • $573 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrate Black Teachers and Students

This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.

My Students

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but my students often lack pens or pencils.

I teach U.S.

History to nearly 200 8th graders. I emphasis reading, writing, critical thinking, study skills, and character education. My students are predominantly African-American, and most qualify for free or reduced lunch. For a variety of reasons, many do not come to school with adequate supplies. Lack of materials should never get in the way of learning, so I give pens and pencils to students who need them. The school provides minimal supplies, so I spent hundreds of dollars a year from my own pocket just for the basics.

My Project

My students need pens, pencils, tissue paper, stress balls, and color overlays to help with reading. I've discovered from my summer reading two new teaching tools: In "Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brains," LouAnne Johnson explains that reading is physically uncomfortable for many students because of the glare created by black print on glossy white paper. Transparent overlays of various colors have been shown to dramatically to improve the reading enjoyment and achievement for these students. In "The Mind of Boys" Michael Gurian recommends giving stress balls for students who have a lot of energy or have trouble concentrating. Squeezing on them is a great way for kids to fidget and expend physical energy without disturbing their classmates. As a kid diagnosed with ADHD, I found them very helpful.

My dream is to start out the year with a healthy stockpile of supplies and not have to worry about constantly running out or running up my own credit card balance.

I'm also excited to try out innovative tools to help my underachieving students.

Mr. Harrington
Grades 6-8

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Harrington is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
PENCIL DIXON NO. 2 SOFT YELLOW PACK OF 144 • School Specialty $14.24 7 $99.68
OVERLAYS FULL PAGE COLOR PACK OF 10 • School Specialty $47.49 2 $94.98
PEN BLACK BALLPOINT ROUND STIC PACK OF 60 • School Specialty $6.41 6 $38.46
PEN BALLPOINT ROUND STIC BLUE PACK OF 60 • School Specialty $6.41 6 $38.46
BALL GEL COLOR MORPH • School Specialty $6.64 4 $26.56
BALL TACTILE SMILEY FACE ICKY YICKY • School Specialty $6.64 4 $26.56
BALL GEL ABILITATIONS • School Specialty $5.69 4 $22.76
TAPE MASKING SCOTCH 410M DBL SIDED 1X36 • School Specialty $18.99 1 $18.99
TISSUE FACIAL BOX 100 SHEETS • School Specialty $1.04 16 $16.64
RUBBER BAND BALL 2.5'' 250 BANDS ASSORTED • School Specialty $5.45 1 $5.45

Materials cost

$388.54

Vendor shipping charges

 $38.85

Sales tax

 $23.31

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.83

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$486.53

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$85.86

Total project goal

$572.39

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $572.39

7 Donors

-$552.39

Donations toward project cost

-$469.53

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$82.86

match offer

-$20.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$17.00

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$3.00

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Harrington and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"MD","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/the-pen-is-mightier-than-the-sword/1021157/","mayHaveReplacements":true,"numStudents":200,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Harrington","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"1191142491","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"Landover","teachersOnPage":[1013641],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":1021157,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"1013641":{"owner":"Mr. Harrington","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[1021157],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-1_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":174330,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MTkwMzgwNQ==","MTAzNDgzNA==","MTY0MjQ0Mg==","MTgwMTc5NA==","MTAxODQzMg==","MTAxMzY0MQ==","MTg3NzM3Nw==","MTg5ODkzNQ=="],"teacherId":1013641,"schoolCounty":"Prince Georges","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"MD","name":"Maryland"}}
Supporting teachers and students since 2000

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America create classroom project requests, and you can give any amount to the project that inspires you.

We've earned the highest possible ratings from Better Business Bureau, Charity Watch, Charity Navigator, and Guidestar.