Past projects 63
Fernando Valenzuela: Lessons in Representation and Literacy
Funded Mar 27, 2025Thank you so much for funding this project that focuses on Fernando Valenzuela! What a wonderful way to celebrate opening day of the season! I’m looking forward to sharing Dr. Kathy Contreras’s beautiful book about the life of Fernando Valenzuela with students this spring!
Your generous donations offer students the opportunity to develop oracy and literacy and to engage with a fun and educational bilingual text. What’s more, thanks to you, we teachers have the resources we need to collaborate and co-create a unit that uplifts both English and Spanish.
Thank you for supporting dual language instruction and public education. Your generosity is making a difference in our classrooms!
Go Dodgers!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Native American Art, Games, and Celebrations
Funded Jul 1, 2024I really cannot express to you the level of appreciation I have for each of you! By funding this project, you helped bring to life our Native American Art, Games, and Celebrations curriculum and Indigenous Peoples' Day Gathering. For example, the sand you purchased is being used by students to explore Navajo sand painting and create their own art inspired by Indigenous sand painting in the Indian Education classes. What's more, the Indian Education Consortium held an Indigenous Peoples' Day Gathering for students throughout the county, including our schools. Students engaged with art, dance, games and celebration from various Indigenous tribes. This event was culturally sustaining as students and families had the opportunities to make California Native elderberry whistles, practice the Plains' Grass Dance, learn the Jingle Dance, play the Chumash Walnut Shell Dice Game, hear drumming, listen to Indigenous storytelling, and more! The even was an overwhelming success, thanks in large part to your generosity. Thank you!
Thank you for supporting our Indigenous students and all students! Your support of public education is making a difference in our community!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
"Doing the Work" Book Clubs
Funded Sep 18, 2024I want to extend my sincere thanks to you for supporting Antibias and Antiracist (ABAR) efforts in our school district. We are working with educators, students, and families to shift our culture to become more inclusive, loving and just. The texts you have donated focus on critical pedagogy, Ethnic Studies, and dual language instruction. Because of your generosity, our teachers can do their own learning regarding teaching for social justice and our students and families have a more diverse selection of books at school sites from which to choose. In this project there are a variety of texts, in both English and Spanish, that offer students what Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop called "windows" and "mirrors." The windows allow them to learn about the experiences of people from groups they may not be a part of while mirrors allow them to see their own experiences reflected back to them in literature. Both experiences are valuable as we work to build a community that welcomes everyone equally.
Thank you again and again for supporting public education and our efforts to create educational spaces where every student and family knows that they belong.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 4 other donors.The Beautiful: Truly Reading Across America
Funded Mar 30, 2023Thank you so much for your support of this project! This project is close to my heart for many reasons (not the least of which is that my sister is the author of the book, and I believe in her community poetics so much!). Your generous donation has made it possible for middle school students to think critically about the beauty of this country and the diverse people who call themselves "Americans."
Students in 8th grade History and English classes are engaging with The Beautiful and analyzing what poets from each of the US states and territories identify as beautiful in their region. This project incorporates elements of Literacy, Art, and Ethnic Studies. Ultimately, this unit offers students the opportunity to consider the beauty that exists in their lives and to document their own interests and experiences.
This project is a celebration of beauty that serves to connects us in our diverse community. Thank you so much for supporting public education and for believing in this project! Wishing you beauty in the year ahead and beyond!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Native Leaders and Me
Funded Nov 29, 2022I am so grateful to you for all you have done to support our Native students by purchasing the Notable Native People book! You made it possible for there to be a text for each student so that they could explore "50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present." Over the school year, students considered the various values of Indigenous Leaders and reflected on their own values and the ways that they can be leaders in their communities. It was a beautiful exploration!
I'm sorry for the delayed thank you note, but I wanted to be able to share photos from the annual Honoring Ceremony. My co-teacher, friend, and collaborator, Ms. Jacobs, is the Teacher Specialist/Coordinator for Indian Education in our county. She ensured that the graduating seniors in the Indian Education Program were recognized for their hard work. The pictures shared with you are from that amazingly moving event!
Ms. Jacobs also worked to make sure that all students in the program had access to the wonderful book that you purchased for our district. Thank you so much for supporting our students and for making these educational experiences possible. And for believing in public schools. We appreciate YOU!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 15 other donors.Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Environmental Stewardship, and Me
Funded Jun 23, 2022We are beyond grateful for your donation to this project! The impact of your donation is TREMENDOUS! We are utilizing these books in Indian Education as part of a yearlong unit of study on Indigenous Leadership. Native students from all over our county are engaging in curriculum on Indigenous leadership and learning about Native leaders, past and present, while they explore their own strengths as leaders.
In addition, these books were shared at a countywide Indigenous Peoples' Day gathering. At this event, students learned about specific leaders such as: Wilma Mankiller, Jim Thorpe, Sean Sherman, Tyonajanegen. and Robin Wall Kimmerer. Based on these notable Native leaders, students silkscreened t-shirts, painted rocks, made recipes with native ingredients, and did physical activities. The books you have provided made these activities and so many more available to students this year!
Thank you for supporting our students and for supporting public education! You make a difference for students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
Becoming Anti-racist
Funded Sep 11, 2020I have written many Donors Choose grants, and this grant has been the most inspiring and the most important project yet. I appreciate all YOU donors who, in a show of solidarity and anti-racism, rushed to fund Becoming Anti-racist. Seriously, our colleagues, students, and families have been so moved by your support!
Currently, STAMPED is being used by a social justice group on campus. This group meets weekly to discuss social justice issues. There is so much to talk about right now! In addition, I have submitted a form to get STAMPED board approved, so it can be used as part of the curriculum. We are awaiting for approval from the Board. Once approved, we will promote a unit using STAMPED and hold a schoolwide book club.
This is exciting work, and we can't wait to get started! Several teachers have already committed to working with students in the book club and utilizing this amazing text in their classrooms.
Teaching for Black Lives means having a deep understanding of racism in the history of the United States. Reading STAMPED will help students and educators have a fuller understanding of this country's history of white supremacy and be able to work for a more equitable, diverse, just, loving, and peaceful community. May it be so!
Please stay safe and know that we are all in this together. Thank you for believing in public education and for being our allies!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
Sports Equipment for Fitness and Fun
Funded Jun 10, 2020Thank you so much for your generous donation! These basketballs will replace the older sports equipment that students have used over the years. Coach and PE teacher, Mr. G., was thrilled to receive these materials today. He and the rest of the PE Department are eagerly awaiting the time when it is safe for students to return! He said that these new balls will be of great use for sports teams, PE, and lunchtime fun! Thank you again for supporting our students and for supporting public education. Take good care, and know we appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and 4 other donors.Counselling With Power and Love
Funded May 5, 2020This project has brought joy to our counselors! Back at the beginning of the year when students inspired this project, we had no idea what our lives would be like after March! A group of students proposed this project because they wanted the counselors at our site to know how much they are appreciated. Since COVID hit, our counselors have been working harder than ever! They know that students have so many needs (from food to technology to mental health services), and the counselors have been working tirelessly to help our students and their families connect with the resources they need.
The materials in this project gave us an opportunity to show our counselors that we see them, and we see all they are doing for our community. The counselors LOVED the resources and were truly touched to know that our students and YOU are thinking about them. Thank you so much for being a supporter of public education and school counselors! You are the best!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 3 other donors.Snacks for Students
Funded Jun 30, 2020This completed project brought GREAT joy to the 2 students who inspired it! Two students surveyed their classmates, made a list and helped write the grant. When I called them and told them the grant was funded, the students were absolutely thrilled, as were their parents. The boys are currently discussing how they want to distribute the snacks now that we are #saferathome. They are brainstorming lots of ideas including distributing the snacks with families who are picking up lunches each week, making and delivering snack sacks for students from their classes, and more! No matter what the boys decide, they will distribute the snacks with students and families from our school, and they are truly over the moon! This students are so amazed that you listened to their idea and funded their project! Thank you for encouraging our students and supporting public education! We appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lomax
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 9 other donors.