Past projects 3
Growing Roots: Building a Native Plant Garden Together
Funded Oct 1, 2024Thank you for your generous donation to our Native Plant Garden project!
Our students have dove right in, using the new tools to help restore our garden. They've been digging, planting, cleaning, and learning about local plants, all while transforming our school into a much-needed green space. One moment that stands out is when they first got their hands on the new equipment—there was a lot of excitement and a few goofy moments, but their energy and enthusiasm are undeniable. They're thrilled to have the tools they need and no longer have to wait for outside help. This sense of ownership is really giving them pride in the project.
Looking ahead, we'll continue to work on the garden while tying it into our environmental club's projects and deepening our engagement with the local community. Students will gain more hands-on experience with ecosystems and the importance of native plants. We're also preparing for a community clean-up event in January, where students will take the lead in organizing and rallying the community. This event will be in collaboration with local middle schools and the City of LA.
It's been amazing to watch our students step up as leaders in this project, and we can't wait to see where it goes next!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Maduena
This classroom project was brought to life by United Airlines and 4 other donors.Calculators for Chemistry
Funded Sep 18, 2024Thank you so much for your generous support of our "Calculators for Chemistry" project! The impact of your donation has been awesome, as these calculators are the first calculator update we've had in 10 years.
Our old calculators were getting old and unreliable, making it difficult for students to keep up with the demands of modern chemistry coursework. Furthermore, there weren't enough calculators to distribute to all students, and teachers needed to share calculators in between classes.
As a community school, we strive to create an inclusive environment where all students can thrive. Giving students access to simple technologies like scientific calculators is a necessary step towards this. Now, instead of getting held down by unreliable tools, they can focus on mastering the concepts.
Thank you again for making such a significant difference in our classroom and Smidt Tech High. Your support is helping us create a more engaging and effective learning environment for all our students!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Maduena
This classroom project was brought to life by United Airlines and 4 other donors.Materials for MESA Competitions and Programs!
Funded Mar 7, 2017Your donations have been helping our students improve and practice their engineering skills! At the end of the 2016-2017 school year, our students were able to participate in their first MESA preliminary competitions with the resources you provided. Their engineering projects included balsa wood bridges, egg drops, and balsa wood gliders. And though I am not at Smidt Tech High School for the 2017-2018 school year, students have continued to use the resources you provided, taking their experiences from their first preliminary competitions and improving on their projects. Indeed, at the moment students are practicing the construction and design of the balsa wood bridges.
When our students first saw the donations come in, they were sincerely amazed at the quantities of resources your donations were able to provide. The MESA program leadership also expressed genuine gratitude at the donations made to their program. Carlos S., a senior from Smidt Tech and an officer in the MESA program, wrote, "Thank you so much for your generous donation to MESA, as the projects our students have built wouldn't have been possible had it not been for your donations". Fernando M., the Director of Competition for the MESA program, also expressed gratitude, writing that he was "truly appreciative" of your donation.
So where does the MESA program go from here? While I laid down the foundations for the organization in the 2016-2017 school year, the student leaders of the MESA program have taken the lead for the 2017-2018 school year. They have put together a calendar of practice projects and competitions to prepare them for this school year's MESA competitions. Some of the resources you provided will also go to this preparation, as the MESA president, Jose A., explains: "Having a good deal of practice before actually competing is invaluable, but it can get pretty expensive. So thank you for your kind donations, it will be very helpful in bringing back many medals!".
Once again, thank you! Through your donations, students now have the opportunity to practice applying the knowledge gained in their science and math classes to engineering projects. These sort of experiences are transformational in a student's life, and what starts as an after-school program can become a fulfilling, life-long career.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Maduena