Past projects 8
Mindfulness Through Awe, Art & Exploration
Funded Mar 13, 2017Thank you so much for this incredibly generous grant. My students are using these resources for numerous mindful art projects. We have created cartoons of the effects of mindfulness on responding and not reacting. We have created Human Rights trees. We will soon be creating touchstones.
When my students first saw the materials, their eyes were wide with wonder. And then they quickly just dove in and started using them. It's amazing how free, expressive and creative they are. I can't wait to see what else they will do.
The next project will be our touchstones. Students will make stones with words helping them to connect to their mindful selves. After that we'll be making paintings and mindfulness poems.
Thank you again for this incredible gift.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
Adding Play to Engage Students
Funded Mar 31, 2016I can't thank you enough for the toys, games and incentive prizes for my students. These materials are an essential addition to my classes. The students I'm working with are considered "at risk" and are close to giving up on school. Making learning fun, adding an element of play and competition, has made all the difference.
When my students saw the toys and supplies arrive, they were thrilled. Their faces lit up, their smiles were huge, and they were almost in a state of disbelief.
Play is an essential part of life. Though my students are in high school, they love playing as much as younger children. And given the traumatic journeys they've had as new immigrants, it's almost more essential that they have a chance to laugh and let go a bit.
Your donation is not only helping these students now, but giving them a feeling of joy about learning is something that will stay with them and help them as they move forward in life. By motivating them to succeed now, they will be more motivated in college and beyond.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
The Power of Awe
Funded Mar 24, 2016I cannot thank you enough for the incredible art supplies you have provided my classes. Not only are they amazingly motivated, but they are helping us to foster awe for all the beauty and wonder in our city. When my students first saw the materials, AWE was their initial reaction. Their faces lit up, smiles were beaming, and they were laughing with joy.
We used the materials to create human rights trees as a beginning project. We will also be using them on our trip to the Botanic Garden to create water color paintings of the spring flowers. And as the months pass, we will use them in our classroom to create projects with our writing.
Finally, these materials will be used my hundreds of students in the coming years. Please know that your donation has had a huge impact now, but will continue to inspire and delight students for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
Sharing Our Stories Across Time and Space
Funded Oct 26, 2015I cannot thank you enough for the technology resources you purchased for our class. My students are beyond excited to begin writing their stories and sharing them with other schools.
My students and I are using these resources to record their stories and share them with classes around the country interested in learning more about immigrants' lives.
My students are all learning English as a New Language and this is an opportunity for them to really develop their writing skills. They have to write several drafts, revise, edit, share, use feedback, and prepare final drafts. In addition, they are communicating with native speakers of English, and this adds an extra layer of authenticity to the experience.
Your generosity is deeply appreciated and it will not only improve the language skills of my students, but will also help to connect them with other students, and even more importantly, help to create new understanding about the amazing and difficult lives of immigrant teens.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
Gratitude As A Pathway To Learning
Funded Jul 13, 2015Thank you so much for the gratitude journals and stress balls for my students. When I took out the gratitude journals for them, their faces lit up like a thousand suns. And when we began our first gratitude journal entry, three things we enjoyed about our summer vacation, I could feel their happiness as they wrote about these positive memories. When I asked them how it felt to write in their journals, they said how happy, excited and joyful they felt, reliving the positive events. Then when they shared their writing with their classmates, they said the feelings grew stronger because they got to hear and learn about their classmates' summer.
My students are using the journals in class, to write about positive events, people they are grateful for, experiences that bring them joy. The stress balls are in a basket on my desk everyday and they freely take them as they need them, to help them relieve stress, either emotional or in their hands, while we are engaged in class activities. They have been a wonderful addition to my classroom.
Though we have just begun the school year, it is very clear to me that the journals and stress balls have changed the tone of my classroom. My emphasis on mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and stress release throughout all classes is helping to create a safe, open space, where students are happy to interact, share with each other, and fully participate. What's more, they are there with big smiles on their faces.
I can't thank you enough for helping to provide these wonderful resources.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
We Can All Be Malala
Funded Oct 17, 2014I cannot thank you enough for generously supporting the "We Can All Be Malala" project for my Human Rights Class. My students are thrilled to have copies of "I Am Malala" to read. We studied her story and her incredible journey through news articles and videos, and they are now thrilled to read the actual book. When they got the books from the box, their faces lit up with delight. Several asked if Malala would be coming to NY so that she could visit our school and sign our books, or if we could go hear her speak somewhere.
We are using this book in several ways.
In terms of my students' learning, it's profound. My students are all new immigrants to the United States, so any reading done is a chance to improve their English skills. With "I Am Malala", they are learning tons of new vocabulary, as well as reading a memoir in English, a new language for them. This is teaching them to keep track of characters, and understand the complex history represented in the book. But beyond that, her story is so compelling and inspiring and current, it's helping to inspire them to become activists in their own way, which is the deeper message of my human rights class.
This is not an easy book to read and much of what happened to Malala and her family is upsetting to my students. However, the fact that she is their age, that she is now out their fighting for education for girls all over the world, despite having her life threatened in such a serious way, is profoundly moving to them all. As a teacher, I too am deeply inspired by Malala's courage, her gratitude for learning, and her efforts to make this world a better place.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
Building Bridges Continues
Funded Jan 14, 2011Thank you again for helping to fund materials for my "Building Bridges Continues" project. Not only did you reach out to my students when all budgets are being severely cut, but you helped to push through a project I've been longing to do with my students for years. I now finally have the missing piece to finish this project in a meaningful and replicable way.
With the computer, students in my human rights program are working to finish editing video diaries documenting just how special, kind, mature, but also "normal" immigrant teens are. We will share these stories with American born students with help from the wonderful organizations Not in Our Town, and Facing History and Ourselves. Once their work is done, sometime in the spring, I will invite you all to visit the website where their digital and written stories will be posted. Perhaps you will feel inspired to write to them and share your stories as well.
This project is one I plan to replicate and improve upon for years to come. Please know that your generous donation will be a gift that continues to give to generations of students.
I can't thank you enough! ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
Building Bridges
Funded Oct 5, 2010Thank you again for helping to fund materials for my "Building Bridges" project. Not only did you reach out to my students when all budgets are being severely cut, but you helped to push through a project I've been longing to do with my students for years.
With the flip video cameras, students in my human rights program are working to create video diaries documenting just how special, kind, mature, but also "normal" immigrant teens are. We will share these stories with American born students with help from the wonderful organizations Not in Our Town, and Facing History and Ourselves. Once their work is done, sometime in the spring, I will invite you all to visit the website where their stories will be posted. Perhaps you will feel inspired to write them and share your stories as well.
This project is one I plan to replicate and improve upon for years to come. Please know that your generous donation will be a gift that continues to give to generations of students.
I can't thank you enough”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mann
This classroom project was brought to life by Claire Giannini and 13 other donors.