Past projects 23
Gaming the Classroom
Funded Apr 28, 2025Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our classroom project! Your donation has made a difference by showing our students that there are people who believe in them and their learning journeys.
Thanks to you, we will soon be bringing in tools that will make our classroom even more engaging, energetic, and student-centered. The magnetic dry-erase boards and black pens will transform our daily routines into exciting, game show-style activities where every student can participate actively and confidently. Whether they’re racing to answer a comprehension question or creating a magnetic poem, your support is helping to make learning playful, creative, and collaborative.
Beyond academics, your generosity also helps us build a stronger classroom community. The snacks you funded will provide small comforts during long work sessions and community-building events—fueling not just bodies, but also spirits. You’ve also helped us keep our cozy learning space fresh and welcoming by funding a vacuum cleaner (an unsung hero that will make a huge difference after a busy day on the rugs!).
And of course, the Pokémon cards you helped provide will bring a whole new layer of joy and connection. These cards aren't just prizes—they’re tools for friendship, laughter, and teamwork. We can’t wait to share all the ways your generosity brightens our days!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by Walton Family Foundation and 10 other donors.Learning to Play, Playing to Learn
Funded Apr 17, 2025I am very grateful for your generosity and support in helping bring our classroom project to life. Your kindness will provide my students with the time and opportunity to decompress and play with one another, while playing with literature and writing. The word games will be a welcome addition to our fun-space while (secretly) helping them learn about fiction, and small rewards like Pokémon cards will offer creative and engaging ways to practice mindfulness and self-regulation. They have become quite an unexpected and popular stress-reliver in my room.
Your support goes beyond funding—it sends a powerful message to my students that their well-being matters. Thank you for believing in my students and in the importance of their emotional growth. Your generosity will have a meaningful and lasting impact.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by Walton Family Foundation and 5 other donors.A Quiet and Calm Corner (Part 2)
Funded Feb 1, 2025I am thrilled to share the incredible impact that our newly created calming and quiet corner has had on my students. Thanks to the generous support we received, this space has quickly become an essential part of our classroom, providing students with a safe and welcoming environment to manage stress, refocus, and develop emotional resilience.
The rocking chair and lighting have transformed a small corner of the room into a peaceful retreat where students can take a break when they feel overwhelmed. The sensory tools, fidget toys, and art supplies have given them hands-on ways to regulate their emotions, express themselves creatively, and practice mindfulness. Even something as simple as the snacks have helped create a space that feels rewarding and supportive, reinforcing the idea that their emotional well-being matters. I can reward students for getting tutored outside of class time, motivating them to ask questions and get extra help when they need it. Beyond individual benefits, this space has helped foster a classroom culture of empathy and understanding, as students recognize the importance of taking care of their mental health.
This project has not only improved academic engagement but also given students the tools to navigate their emotions more effectively—skills that will benefit them far beyond the classroom. I am deeply grateful for the support that made this possible, and I look forward to seeing the continued positive impact this space will have on my students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund and 7 other donors.A Quiet and Calm Corner
Funded Jan 31, 2025I am thrilled to share the incredible impact that our newly created calming and quiet corner has had on my students. Thanks to the generous support we received, this space has quickly become an essential part of our classroom, providing students with a safe and welcoming environment to manage stress, refocus, and develop emotional resilience.
The rocking chair and lighting have transformed a small corner of the room into a peaceful retreat where students can take a break when they feel overwhelmed. The sensory tools, fidget toys, and art supplies have given them hands-on ways to regulate their emotions, express themselves creatively, and practice mindfulness. Even something as simple as the snacks have helped create a space that feels rewarding and supportive, reinforcing the idea that their emotional well-being matters. I can reward students for getting tutored outside of class time, motivating them to ask questions and get extra help when they need it. Beyond individual benefits, this space has helped foster a classroom culture of empathy and understanding, as students recognize the importance of taking care of their mental health.
This project has not only improved academic engagement but also given students the tools to navigate their emotions more effectively—skills that will benefit them far beyond the classroom. I am deeply grateful for the support that made this possible, and I look forward to seeing the continued positive impact this space will have on my students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund and 11 other donors.Getting Started in 2024!
Funded Aug 14, 2024I want to express my deepest gratitude for your generous contributions to our classroom. Thanks to your support, we have started the school year with the essential supplies that will make a tremendous difference for our students. The shelves, bins, bandaids, paper, batteries, pens, and tissues have already begun creating a more organized and welcoming learning environment.
The shelves are helping us store books and bulky materials, freeing up precious floorspace and allowing the students more room to move and engage in activities comfortably. The bins will be used for a variety of purposes, including organizing our classroom and holding art projects—especially our new knitting projects! Middle school students will have the opportunity to learn knitting as a way to foster creativity, develop patience, and find a sense of calm, all of which support their mental wellness. This is such a valuable skill, and your donation has made it possible for us to offer this special opportunity.
Additionally, the paper and pens will help ensure every student is prepared for in-class essays, while the tissues, bandaids, and other materials will ensure that we can meet students' everyday needs. Your contribution has set the tone for a positive, well-resourced learning environment, and we are so appreciative.
Thank you again for your generosity and for believing in the importance of education and wellness for our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.What Did He Say? Speakers!
Funded Jan 12, 2023I am writing this letter to express my gratitude for your generous contribution towards the purchase of wireless speakers for my classroom. Your act of kindness has not only made my job easier but also created a positive and motivating learning environment for my students.
I believe that a calm and relaxed atmosphere allows students to focus better and achieve their academic goals. However, achieving this goal was always a challenge due to the lack of necessary resources. But, thanks to your contribution, I can finally create an environment where students can learn comfortably.
The wireless speakers have allowed me to play music in the background while students work. The soothing tunes, usually jazz or classical, not only create a relaxed atmosphere but also motivate the students to focus, and they seem to enjoy it.
Moreover, the speakers also let me to use a microphone to communicate with the class effectively. In the past, I have had difficulty in making myself heard by all students due to the classroom's size and acoustics. However, with a microphone, I can speak at a normal volume, and every student can hear me loud and clear. This makes teaching and communication a lot easier, and I am grateful for your contribution that made it possible.
Your donation has made a significant impact on the lives of my students and me. Your kindness has not only provided us with necessary resources, but it has also shown my students that there are people who care about their education and well-being, and I cannot thank you enough for it.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
Starting the Year Right
Funded Aug 21, 2022As I was selecting the photos I wanted to upload to show the impact your donation had on my class, it struck me as a bit funny. I took a photo of some note cards, and one of some dry erase markers... It's all the invisible parts of a class that don't seem to matter. Who notices whether or not the teacher has extra lined paper? But the truth is, if it isn't the -- in the background of the class -- it severely impacts the class as well as the kids who need those materials. And the truth is, most kids won't need flash cards because they bring their own, and they'll never need my construction paper because their parents take them to the store when they need art supplies. But those kids are not alone. They sit next to kids who don't remember their folders, have a hard time getting motivated to study vocabulary on cards, or who don't live with someone able to take them to an art supplies store. So on their behalf, I want to thank you for giving them some of what they need to succeed this year.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
Busy Hands, Busy Minds
Funded Sep 23, 2021This donation request was a new one for me. My students in AP Seminar are exceptionally high performing, and we spend time in the beginning of the year deconstructing the habits of highly effective think-tanks. We study the origin of ideas based on the premise that collaboration and camaraderie not only effectively identifies problems of high-relevance but begins to generate solutions to those problems.
My students were attracted to two models: Google and the Coffee-shop model. The later features an informal and relaxed atmosphere of discussion with fluid groups while the later, as they understood, was characterized by bursts of intense and focused productivity blended with periods of play and relaxation. To this end, we thought we should get some toys.
For a class as rigorous as theres, maybe this isn't a good thing, but when they saw the toys, they LOST THEIR MINDS. They love having things to fidget with and manipulate both during conversations with one another as well as working intensely and independently. More often than not, I'm the one who has to tell his 11th graders that it's time to put the toys away. Thank you so much for your vision and support!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 12 other donors.Absurd Books for Absurd Times
Funded Mar 16, 2021Thank you for generously supporting the purchase of class sets of Camus's The Stranger. As I sit in class right now, in front of me are students that are not mine, watching teachers on a screen with headphones and masks, trying not to be distracted by me, as I speak on a computer screen to my own students, who are either at home or in other classrooms a few hundred feet away. I cannot think of a better time to read this novel!
On the surface Camus' The Stranger is a story about crime and punishment. The story falls into two parts; in the first part a man kills another man, and in the second part he is put on trial and punished. It has also been noted that in many ways the novel resembles American detective stories, but the crime and punishment part of the story does not explain the novel's popularity, and there is no doubt that The Stranger remains one of the most popular 20th century novels. This popularity is a result of the novel's treatment of Existentialist themes, and in particular, its picture of an alienated hero caught up in an absurd world.
As we read, my students are forced to ask, what gives their own lives meaning, even when the universe is reluctant to show you its own -- if it does indeed have one, and Camus is hostile to that very idea. Ultimately, what is it that gives a "precious quality" to a life in the world? Here we can turn to Meursault's, the protagonist's, most precious memories in prison, and they are his memories of the simple physical pleasures of being alive, e.g., of the warm sun overhead, the cool water of the ocean, the salt air, the wonderful summer nights on the Mediterranean, sex, etc. When the Priest asks him whether he has seen the "face of the divine" on the walls of his prison cell, Meursault replies that he has searched only for his lover's face and "the flame of desire," and for Meursault it is, along with the other physical pleasures of being alive, enough to make life precious. Like Sisyphus, Meursault finds the world absurd, yet at the same time he also finds that he has been "happy."
Again, it is with genuine sincerity that I offer you thanks for investing in the lives of my kids.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 9 other donors.Get Up and Learn
Funded Feb 1, 2021Thank you SO MUCH for finding it in your hearts to donate to this project.
I've been using the iPad in all kinds of unexpected and surprising ways. It turns out that a lot of the programs we use in school are easier to use on the iPad. Grading has become more efficient, which translates to faster feedback for my kiddos. Also, Using the iPad allows me to double enroll on Zoom, so I can better monitor my students in breakout rooms; it's like an extra set of eyes and ears, and this alone has made this priceless.
When we return to class, I'll be using the iPad to keep kids out in the fresh air, whenever possible. They'll be on their chromebooks, and I'll be able to pick up and stay productive along with them.
Once again, I appreciate your support of public education, in general, and my kids specifically.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Firestein