Past projects 11
Let Me Upgrade Ya... to a Student Run Crafting business.
Funded Nov 3, 2023Thank you so much for your continued support and belief in our program. The materials we are able to obtain with this funding will allow us give accessibility to our students, helping them reach independence even quicker. These materials open doors to students and allows them to create, to be innovative, and to explore on their own. These materials also help us create materials at a higher caliber so we can continue our goal of selling our merchandise at local stores. We cannot wait to see all of the progress that will be made this year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 22 other donors.Tumble into Entrepreneurship
Funded Apr 11, 2023What a wonderful impact this project has made on my class. We have had so many opportunities to explore a new vocation. We learned failure creates success, we learned that glitter gets everywhere, and we learned how to be positive, even when things get tough. We also learned to love our finished product even when it turned out a little different than what we had first expected. This has been one of the best experiences all thanks to your generous donations. We can't wait to keep practicing, and growing with our business.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
Discovery Store: Reboot
Funded Aug 17, 2022Thank you for your generosity. Your donation has given us our first semester filled with work for our pop up shops and farmers markets. With the materials that were provided, students were able to use creativity and craftsmanship to develop beautiful works of art. They were not only able to make handmade items, they were able to create on a larger scale, allowing us the opportunity to sell our item. Students were able to participate in the entire process of ordering materials, developing crafts, production lines, packaging, customer service, and selling of merchandise, all at a level created by them and for them. You give us the tools to create a positive and encouraging work environment for young adults with a wide scale of abilities. Thank you for your continued engagement, generosity, and support for my class.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 10 other donors.Farmer’s Market Here We Come
Funded May 3, 2022This project is focused on our fall unit that will return this september. Without it being farmers market season for our program, we have already begun to use all of these great tools for our day to day summer program. The chairs and tent (along with all the things that came with it) help us stay comfortable and cool while working in our gardens throughout the summer. The tables have helped us complete outdoor projects without a fuss. We cannot wait to use these tools and materials even more once the fall rolls around. Gifts like these may seem insignificant, however, they have changed the way my students are able to interact with their environment for the better. Because of the additions we have gotten from this project, I have seem students work with independence and enjoy working in the gardens at length. I have seen students access our outdoor space in ways that we never thought possible. I am so thankful for these materials that make an outdoor experience that used to be tolerated, into an activity that is enjoyable and easy to complete for all. Thank you for your trust in our program that we will use these tools with vigor and purpose. I cannot wait for the fall to begin!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 5 other donors.Life Essentials: The Cooking Dilemma
Funded Aug 12, 2021What a difference new cooking utensils will make to a batch of novice chefs! We no longer need to be afraid of getting hurt because we have all these new safety tools like finger guards, peeler guards,serrated plastic knives, and a new mixer. My students were so excited to go through our cooking drawer and dispose of all the materials that did not help us cook, so we could make room for our new wonderful materials. We made icing for our cookies without a mess due to our new hand mixer! We peeled apples safety and made a delicious apple crumble. My students are experiencing independence for the first time in the kitchen, and it is all due to our new materials!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 11 other donors.The Adulting Lifestyle: Fiscal Responsibility
Funded Aug 21, 2021We loved opening our box of goodies and exploring all of our new materials. We have added our budgeting books to our daily living library and have visited the cooking book quite frequently! We have expanded our abilities to add an understanding of money into our cooking lessons which has been so helpful in helping my students understand monetary values in everything, even food!
The new board games have added a social and fun aspect to our life skills math period at school. We have learned new ways of looking at money, and how to be strategic in our spending!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab and one other donor.Money, Money, Money, Money, MONEY!
Funded Aug 22, 2021Thank you so much for helping our class become an interactive learning environment! My students absolutely love centers work time and are always asking to use the "math pen." We thrive off of hands on, direct instruction. Using this math pen helps my students get answers immediately and has increased the pace of their learning. We were so excited the day our package arrived, we were able to dispose of our old paper money that had been difficult to use, and exchanged them for brand new, real looking money. Practicing counting money is more exciting during our grocery store practice because of our new materials.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab and one other donor.These 4 Walls
Funded Aug 3, 2021Your support, love, and dedication to our program has helped transform our classroom back area from a normal everyday space into an interactive life skills paradise. We are now able to "see" a grocery store and a department store every day because of the whiteboard and chalkboard walls we were able to add. We have added sticky or magnetic items to a "store" wall that students can see items to use for vocabulary building, see prices for comparisons, and look for multiple items to work on budgeting. Thanks to you, we are able to learn the most vital skills all from the comfort of our own room.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 5 other donors.The Pet Store Everyone Needs
Funded Jul 24, 2021We are so thankful for this new vocational opportunity, and it is all thanks to you! We have created a pet workshop in a corner of our classroom dedicated to helping students explore their passions in various ways. We are currently in the development stages of our new pet shop, and are having a blast experimenting with all of the materials you all provided us!
We have been experimenting with different pet friendly foods to see what works in our new dehydrator. We are learning food and pet safety in a hands on, real life way! Our crafters have been sorting through a variety of bells and ribbons trying to come up with the best combination for a cat toy!
My students now get the opportunity to learn about how a business starts with two very important things, supporters and a dream. You have supplied us with the support, and we provide the dream!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden
Vocational Career Training: Online Store, Soaps, Spices, and More!
Funded Feb 18, 2021What a difference it can make to have such a supportive community. With your help my high school life skills program was able to create a fully functional and covid safe store. My students were able to practice their independent and vocational skills by using the materials you purchased to create artisan soaps.
Each student was able to tap into their creative side, by mixing and matching color dyes, scents, dried flowers, and lots of glitter, to make their own personally crafted soap. We were able to work as a class to create an online store and practice our vocation skills by selling our product to faculty and staff.
This has been such a wonderful experience for my staff, students, and student interns that we have decided to continue our online store and expand to even more wonderful creations. We hope to continue our soap craftsmanship this coming year, and explore other avenues such as pet toys and treats.
We could not have experienced any of this positivity during a very strange and difficult time without your support. From all of us to you, we thank you for helping us reach our goals. We can't wait to keep working!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Borden