Past projects 4
Books to Affirm
Funded Jun 20, 2019Your generosity is a true testament to the importance of inclusion and affirmation of all abilities, genders, ethnicities, and orientations. More than simply feeling appreciative, the students and I are understand that your support of our school library collection is a validation of the importance of providing culturally authentic and representative materials. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Carroll
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 5 other donors.Help Organize Our Maker Space!
Funded Dec 12, 2015Thank you!
This Maker Space organizational cart came with an extra bonus. It arrived in pieces! The kids who were here when it arrived were so excited to put it together it was ready in under 20 minutes. They worked as a team, followed instructions, and used logic when the instructions failed (as they so often do). Proud of their accomplishment, they wasted no time in determining what to put where, and created labels for each drawer to keep things organized.
Over the past few months, students have taken it upon themselves, after asking permission from me, to reorganize as things get mixed up. More importantly, as they find that certain items are more frequently used and should be near the top, or maybe a less used item should be highlighted or combined with a more used item to get it more attention, students are moving things around and re-labeling the drawers, making it work for them. They have taken ownership of their maker space and this cart has made that possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Carroll
This classroom project was brought to life by EMP Museum + Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and 3 other donors.A Maker Space for Students
Funded Nov 13, 2015Thank you all for supporting the students at Millikan. While the items you helped supply to our students are technology related and the students will learn how to use these tech tools, the main goal is not that our students learn about technology, but that they LEARN. They are learning new things, challenging themselves, taking risks, and becoming self-learners.
The variety of items I requested means that we are beginning to draw students to the library who have many diverse interests. Some are coming by to do origami, some are using the Raspberry Pis and learning to code, while others are just intrigued to hear that we have flashing lights they can learn to connect to, well, anything. One student read that Raspberry Pis were originally made to use the programming language Python, so he has found an online course to learn that. Three students are working within the Pi's operating system because they have taken on the challenge of connecting our Pis to the finicky hidden wifi network. A handful of students are creating more and more complicated origami and are beginning to learn that they can make slight changes to create their own designs.
As these students enter the library, they are becoming a community of learners. They use books, websites, videos, and each other as sources of new knowledge. They mess up. They have to redo work they have spent 15 minutes, or three days, working on. And they are stronger for it and more excited when they do finally succeed. Again, thank you for supporting and encouraging our students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Carroll
Getting Graphic
Funded Jan 19, 2012Thank you (incredibly belatedly) for your generous donation to the Millikan Middle School Library. Your support helped to grow the graphic novel collection, drawing many more students to the library. Our improved graphic novel collection has tripled circulation! Many students check out three books in the morning, trade them for three more at lunch, and then again after school. Graphic novels, both fiction and nonfiction, have drawn readers who love the genre and those who need the graphic support to improve their reading. While some stick to this format, many students find they like to branch out to other types of books once these graphic novels have done the hard work of drawing kids into the library. You have helped create readers and change lives. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Carroll
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 14 other donors.