Past projects 17
Snack Time
Funded Feb 10, 2022Thank you for your donation to our Snack time is Fun Time project.
The students were excited to know that healthy snacks would be provided during our after-school board games workshops. We are using board games to teach financial literacy and what a great time for students to have healthy nourish snacks during the two –hour period of playing board games.
I genuinely don't know how to begin to express my gratitude for the donations to our library. Teenagers who stay after school have huge healthy appetites, and these snack items keep our students engaged while learning valuable skills after school.
The students remained engaged and the snacks were a hit especially the Miss Vickie's Kettle chips, Nutri Grain Bars and of course the Poland Spring water. One student has never eaten Miss Vickie's Kettle Chips before stated, "Ms. Echols I don't know where you purchased these chips from but they are awesome". It is statements like this one that makes being a part of DonorsChoose so amazing.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by A New York City Parent and 4 other donors.March On! It's Women's History Month
Funded Feb 9, 2022I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your generous donations to my library. My apologies for the delayed response. The students loved the book "Unbossed: How Black Girls are Leading the Way," journals and pens were the perfect combinations for our first in-person author presentation and signing. Each student could have their books personally signed by the author to them. One student stated," this is the first time I ever met an author of the book, and I am so excited to be here ." Another student was in awe of another young black woman reading and conversing with them. My students walked away with a personal prize possession.
Your donations have effectively impacted my students. They have learned that many individuals want to continue the virtuous cycle by uplifting others when they can. The book Unbossed: How black girls are leading the way, gave my students a mirror and windows experience. Many of the students felt they could relate to the short stories and were glad they had this opportunity. We can't wait until our next author visit.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by Black History Month Partners and 10 other donors.Book It - Mark It
Funded Jan 10, 2022Bookmarks are an essential part of reading, and here at Science Skills Center HS, we are excited to make our bookmarks. When the Cricut machine arrived here at the school, the students were ecstatic about the various paper colors, and they had an opportunity to design their bookmarks, which was gratifying.
The Library Squad students are my assistants, and they create the themed bookmarks using the Cricut machine. To begin using the Cricut machine, one student who had some familiarity by watching a plethora of Youtube videos became our point person to ensure everyone's safety. Once the bookmark templates were ready, the other students placed the protective coverings on the bookmarks. Next month in celebration of Pride Month, the students will make additional bookmarks to give out when we are presented with the Drag Queen Storytime hour.
Thank you for making this beautiful dream a reality!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by A New York City Parent and 2 other donors.B2B Club: Board Games to Books
Funded Nov 30, 2021My students learned that playing board games stimulates brain areas responsible for memory formation, which is excellent for building cognitive skills, such as decision making, higher-level strategic thinking, and problem-solving. More importantly, teamwork and comradery became their focus.
Student P Act your wage helps me experience the reality of economics and career choices. Also, the books are critical to learning about finances.
Student J – dub the Queen of board games, started teaching other students how to play all of the board games, and even researched the history of both Monopoly and Pay Day. She became inspired by the fact a woman created Monopoly from The Landlord's Game developed by Lizzie Magie in the United States in 1903 and sold the game to Parker Brothers.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 5 other donors.Snack Time
Funded Dec 20, 2021The students were excited to know that healthy snacks would be provided during our after-school board games workshops. We are using board games to teach financial literacy, and what a great time for students to have healthy nutritional snacks during the two hours of playing board games.
The students remained engaged, and the snacks were a hit, especially the Miss Vickie's Kettle chips, Nutri Grain Bars, and the Poland Springwater. One student who has never eaten Miss Vickie's Kettle Chips before stated, "Ms. Echols, I don't know where you purchased these chips, but they are awesome." It is statements like this that make being a part of DonorsChoose unique.
There are so many other stories from the students; however, the one highlighted here resonates with me, and to see the smile on the student's faces is why I do the work that I do as a librarian where it more than just books.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 4 other donors.Bibliotherapy: Helping Students, One Book at a Time
Funded Nov 30, 2021Thank you for your generosity. The Bibliotherapy project was a massive success with our library. One student read Never Fight Alone: 51 inspiring Interviews to Help Teens Overcome their Struggles & Improve their Mental health by Shelomo Solson; "the interviews show teens like me that the problems they face don't have to define their lives. I am so happy that Ms. Echols found this book".
Another highlight was when two friends read the Stars and Blackness Between Them.I enjoyed witnessing the students have a windows and mirrors experience as they read the books. Students can use stories as mirrors to see themselves in the story, which can significantly impact their self-esteem. The mirror's experience gave them a glimpse of their Caribbean ancestry as the story was written in the Trinidadian dialect. Many of my students are of Caribbean descent, related to the magical realism genre of the story.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 5 other donors.Skilled Up! Getting Your Mind Right for College
Funded Nov 29, 2021Thank you for your generous donation to our library's project "Skilled Up! Getting Your Mind Right for College". Here at Science Skills Center High School, we are passionate about providing our students with the tools to succeed in college and beyond. The " Skilled Up" workshop series combines social-emotional learning with book discussions.
The Social-Emotional themed titles chosen for this project allowed students to build upon their AVID skills by using the R&R worksheets Read and Recall. One student learned from the book "Anxiety I'm So Done with You" that it is okay not to be okay and to seek professional help and understanding when developing a healthy mindset.
After each book discussion, the students were engaged in their learning, demonstrated more confidence, and developed higher self-esteem due to the program.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Echols