Past projects 2
Social Emotional Classroom Space
Funded Sep 21, 2024Thank you for your generous gifts to my students! It is amazing how the items given have dramatically impacted the environment of the classroom.
The lamps and LED lights have created a warm and welcoming space. Students come in and turn on the lamps, then choose the LED color for the day. On numerous occasions, individuals have come into the room and commented on how it does not feel like a normal classroom. Time and time again, students especially comment that it feels warm and welcoming in the space.
Within the space, having weighted stuffed animals as an option for students to hold onto during an emotionally trying time is something that has also changed the experience in the room. Some students have asked to take them home, and the dog already got a hole in its neck from being held so much. Students were able to fix it in their sewing elective and take a lot of ownership for caring for the animals.
Lastly, thank you for the snacks. Some teenagers come to school hungry, so the class voted to keep the bars as something available for any hungry student to stop by and get. The other snacks were used on study times in our advisory class as fuel for the hard work.
Words can never fully express our appreciation for your generous gift!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hwang
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative.Books to Open the Door for Imagination and Adventure!
Funded Oct 7, 2014Thank you so much for the incredible gifts given to my classroom. When the materials first arrived in their boxes, there was much buzz around the school. From staff who received the boxes to students who helped to carry them to the classroom, everyone was talking about how exciting it was to receive gifts for our school. As the books were added to our library, scholars asked where they came from. It was so overwhelming to hear the students' responses of disbelief that other people who did not personally know them would be willing to give money for books that students want to read.
The books have been added to our classroom library, where scholars can freely check them out for their own reading. Scholars read the books every day in class, as well as at home. Some of them are class read aloud books, but the majority are available for independent reading.
The addition of the new books to the classroom library have drastically improved the learning in my classroom. Scholars have testified to the fact that they are now able to read books they enjoy. Because I was able to purchase the books after I met my scholars for the 2014-2015 school year, I was able to select titles that they requested or were of particular interest to them. It has been proven that scholars become better readers by reading self-selected texts; having choice novels in my library has helped me to have more meaningful conversations with students, because they are picking books off the shelves for themselves.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hwang