Past projects 32
It's a Photo Opportunity
Funded Feb 2, 2015I can't fully express my joy, excitement, and thanks for your donation to my project. It is great to see that you share my vision for reaching children. My students are so excited about photography and now we have a class, professional grade camera for them to work with. No more fuzzy cell phone photos!
The camera that you donated has been used by every student in both my Graphic Design classes. Having a class camera has enabled them to take their own photos for their recent self portrait project. I will post some of their self portraits so everyone can see how they are using this important resource. I can't really imagine a graphic design class without a professional grade camera and now we don't have to. This camera will be used in my class for years to come.
Thank you so much. It has been exciting to see how my students photography skills are improving because of our new camera .”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
Help My Students Be Global Citizens
Funded Sep 27, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donation that allowed my students to be part of The Memory Project. Because of your donation my students were able to create 40 portraits of children from Thailand. Because of this amazing program my students were motivated to create a really special portrait for a child on the other side of the world that they had never met.
They worked everyday for six weeks creating and revising their portrait skills. I often heard my students use the term, "my child" or say that they wished they could meet their child from Thailand. What made my the happiest was they worked on this project, so that they could create the best portrait possible and they really felt a connection with these children.
Because of this project my students learned to work on a long term project because it is important and not merely to get a grade. They learned that they could and they should work hard to make a positive impact on the world. They were thrilled when they received an email from the founder of The Memory Project thanking them. I have included his email below:
Thank you so much for sending these terrific portraits. They just arrived, and look great! We really appreciate ALL of the effort and care that you all put into these beautiful and creative works.
We'll now keep them safe and warm here in the office until it comes time to deliver them to the kids in late January. We should have all of the photos and the video ready to share some time in mid-late February, and I will be excited to send those your way.
Thanks again so much for everything that you've all put into these 40 wonderful gifts!
You can imagine how eagerly we are waiting for our video and photos. It will be a wonderful early graduation gift for my seniors. Thank you again for your generous donation. Because of your generosity and willingness to help my students were able to learn how to really improve their technical portraiture skills and to learn what it means to be global citizens! I will post photos of their projects soon.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
Help My Students Help Others
Funded Sep 22, 2013This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The funds you donated so my students could be part of The Memory Project had a huge impact on my classroom. Because of your donations the students were able to create 30 portraits of children in Nepal.
The Memory Project is a wonderful organization that has art students create portraits for youth around the world who've been neglected, orphaned, or disadvantaged. My students learned so much from participating in this project. They learned empathy and how they can make a positive impact in the world. My students got interested in Nepal and did their own research. They really committed themselves to doing the very best job they could for "their child". With so much testing and pressure on our students today it was so wonderful to see them be motivated by humanitarian ideas instead of grades. I feel that they grew throughout the process of participating in The Memory Project. The students are really looking forward to receiving a video of their portraits being delivered to "their children".
Without your generous donations my students would never have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful project. Being part of The Memory Project really is the highlight of our school year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 15 other donors.Help My Students Help Others
Funded Feb 11, 2013This is just a small token of gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. Giving my students the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful organization like The Memory Project has been the highpoint of our school year. I wish everyone could visit to my classroom and see how excited the students are about creating portraits for disadvantaged children. My students are learning important art skills and they are also learning empathy and how important it is to help others. My students are also earning community service hours for this project. I feel ,along with my students that this is the most important project we have done all year and we couldn't have done this without you. We can't wait to get photos and a video of our "children" receiving their portraits.
Without donors like you, thousands of classrooms in the United States would go without, thank you again for caring about children and education.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
Access to Scholastic Art for High School Students
Funded Aug 29, 2012This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The Scholastic Arts Magazines that you donated to my students have really made a positive impact in my art room. Not only can my students read a magazine that engages them with articles about careers in art, contemporary artists and hands on projects, our subscription also gives us access to the wonderful Scholastic Arts website.
Our school system like many others is facing a budget shortfall, so without your help, my students would never have these resources that I consider vital to their art education. Thank you so much for connecting my students to the world of contemporary artists , visionary ideas and exposing them to what could be their future careers in the arts.
Without donors like you, thousands of classrooms, especially those in urban settings would go without.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 8 other donors.A Sketch a Day for My Students
Funded Jul 24, 2012This is just a small token of appreciation for your generous donation to my classroom. The sketchbooks and drawing pencils are used by my students every day. My students turn in five completed sketches every week and they are thrilled to have a place where they can practice drawing as well as record their ideas and personal thoughts. I have seen so much improvement in their drawing skills already.
"I have been waiting for my sketchbook"; "Do we get to keep this?" and "This is such a great sketchbook", these were all things that my students said when I presented them with their sketchbooks. I was so excite to see that many of my students carry their sketchbooks with them all day.
Without donors like you many public school students would go without the resources they need to excel. Because of you generous donations my students will learn to think and act like the artists they are.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
Personal Pages: Artists' Journals for My Students
Funded Dec 30, 2011This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous support to my art room. The sketchbook and sketchbook decorating supplies that you donated have had a big impact on my classroom. Just as I had anticipated my students were so excited to get their sketchbook making supplies, they loved putting their books together and decorating the covers. I think their favorite part was writing their names on the cover as the writer and the illustrators of their own stories.
I suggested some of the students write a super hero story and they really got creative with that idea. Some of the students just started writing on their own. One story that really made me smile was a little 3rd grader who began her story,"My name is ________ and I have always dreamed of being a dancer". Many of the students took their books home and then brought them back the next week filled with their stories for me to read.
I hope you enjoy the photos of my creative and motivated students having a great time writing and illustrating their own stories. Without your generous support these students would have never had this wonderful opportunity.
”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
Courageous Clothing!
Funded Feb 24, 2011This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my art room. Your donation of art materials for the students that will enable them to design their own t-shirts have had a very positive effect on my sixth grade students. First, I feel that my students were just so excited that there was someone out there who cared enough to fund a project that was so important to them. They were also thrilled to have a T-shirt that was their own, something that they could transform into an original work of art!
We have been using the materials to design images and positive statements to iron on their t-shirts. The students have been making silhouette pictures of themselves and then they have added a positive statement about themselves. Some of the statements have been, I am beautiful, I am creative and I am polite. Of course as a teacher, I just love seeing my students make such positive statements about themselves.
Thank you again for your generous donation of art materials that has helped my students in so many ways. When we are finished with our T-shirts we will conclude the project with a fashion show. The students can't wait! None of this would have been possible without you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
This classroom project was brought to life by The Horace Mann Companies and 7 other donors.Building Math Skills in the Art Room
Funded Sep 19, 2010This is just a small token of my appreciation for your generous donation. The balsa wood bridge building kits that you have donated have really motivated my students. My sixth grade art students couldn't wait to start their bridge building lesson. Today I had a classroom of six graders who were sketching, measuring and comparing which shapes were the strongest. I couldn't ask for anything more than students who are excited about math and are using math skills to solve real world problems.
My plan is to have all my 5the and 6Thegraders build bridges and then have a team go to our local balsa wood bridge building competition. My school has never had a team like this so my students are very excited about this. Of course this is something that would have never happened without your generous donation. Your donation of balsa wood bridge building kits has made my students excited about math and building. Thank you again for supporting my students and their education.
”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker
This classroom project was brought to life by Abell Foundation and 6 other donors.Personal Journals: Sketchbooks for my Art Students
Funded Sep 28, 2010This is just a small token of my appreciation for your generous donation to our school and my art class. The donation of sketchbooks/journals for every student in grades 2 through 6 had an even greater positive impact than I could have imagined when I first wrote to Donors Choose. When I first introduced the students to the project somehow the news spread through the school that we would be making and decorating our own personal journals. Every class came in excited, motivated and ready to work. One of my students told me that when he gets to take his journal home he was going to carry it with him to the cafeteria and write in his journal when he gets upset instead of fighting. Of course I was so excited that he had figured out for himself how powerful writing can be. Another student, a second grader whispered to me that her dream was to be a song writer and could she write lyrics in her journal. She proceeded to write a half a page of beautiful lyrics and she sang me the song! Some of the students wanted to write about their lives in the style of one of their favorite books, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid".
You can see why I write that this project had an even bigger impact than I had expected. I realized that the classroom teachers have to always be teaching their students to do reading and writing assignments that will help their students improve their scores on standardized tests. The journals are giving my students a chance to write and draw just for their own personal satisfaction. My students needed this space where they can make choices to draw and write about things that are important to them without being graded or judged. Of course my students were very impressed when I told them that Herb Block was a famous artist and cartoonist. Every time my students come to my art room and beg to be able to write in their journals I know that this project has really motivated and inspired my students to write and draw even beyond what I had hoped. Thank-you again for your generous donation for my students. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becker