Past projects 11
Make Meaningful Meals
Funded Mar 11, 2017When we received our items, the excitement began to build as we prepared to take on the issues of hunger and healthy eating in our community of Southwest Philadelphia. Students were eager to show their culinary skills to others as they provided meaningful meals to the community. This program has been so popular that we needed extra space and rooms to help prepare the meals we created for the community.
At first, we were not sure if anyone would want our take home meals. We made many items in crock pots to let items cook during the day. Students prepared the meal ingredients the day before and they came in early to put all the ingredients in the crock pots. The wonderful smells of healthy and delicious food wafted through the hallways. Many students looked around and discovered our meals.
At the end of each school day, three times a week, meals were provided free to students on a first come basis. They could take up to four meals for family members. The meals were an instant success. We were out of meals in minutes and the lines grew longer as the word spread. We are hoping to get new resources to continue this effort to stamp out hunger and encourage healthy eating in our community. Students learned the joy of helping others through this program.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Life Essentials Supporters and 9 other donors.Creative Lessons Through A 3-D Lens
Funded Jan 31, 2017Thank you for your generous donation to help my students achieve more goals during their STEM activities. This will enrich their lives during their time at our school. Many creative lessons can be implemented through utilizing these materials. Our students deserve a quality education to meet the needs of twenty-first century learners. Thank you so much!!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by 3Doodler and 3 other donors."Famous African-American Civil Rights Leaders Wax Museum"
Funded Dec 21, 2016It is with our deepest, sincere gratitude that we accept our donations to help our project " Famous African-Americans in Wax Museum". Our students learn so much through project based learning, and it will continue now into 2017. Thank you from all my students who know you make such a difference in their lives.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.Art Through The Gardens
Funded Jun 20, 2016We here at Bartram High School, wish to thank all our donors for their wonderful support. With the funds we received, we created sculpture to put around the gardens. We also painted a large mural below the gardens to represent our hard work in the gardens. Many students contributed to this effort as well as community leaders and families from the local neighborhood. It feels good to help bring our school programs to make us feel proud of our school.
We used paint, brushes, clay and additional arts and crafts to make our project happen. We still have some paint left over to start a new mural on a different wall, and we have some items to use for our Art Club. All these new items will still relate to our garden program which is the centerpiece of many programs here at the school. We love showcasing our school and encouraging our students to stay at our school and join us in our many efforts to better the community.
Through this project, we learned that we could bring many people together as a team. We worked on social skills and brainstormed ideas about how to reach our goals. Sometimes we disagreed on what should go on the mural, but we worked out our differences through thoughtful conversation. It was awesome all working together. It sets the stage for new projects and programs.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation & Think It Up Supporters and 3 other donors.Living Like John Bartram The Botanist in Philadelphia
Funded Jun 20, 2016Dear Donors,
We were able to accomplish a lot through your generous donations to our project. We did think like John Bartram who created gardens in our area. He studied the growth patterns of flowers and vegetables in the Philadelphia area. He studied where and when the best areas of growth might take place. He also brought seeds and plants from around the world to bring new vegetation to the Philadelphia area. We studied plants too in many different ways. We looked at photosynthesis, weather, soil and water resources. We decided to plant beds in certain areas after analyzing the data from our experiments. We were able to do research just like John Bartram. We designed and created five new garden beds. We learned how to work together as a team while completing all these experiments and gathering data. We will use these supplies again in the spring. Thank you so much for these items to help our urban gardening effort.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by ExxonMobil & Think It Up Supporters and 2 other donors.Southwest Community Playas-Performances To Bring Concepts To Life
Funded Sep 19, 2016Thank you for funding our project. We are creating a new theater arts program this year to enable students to express their many talents in music, acting and dance. We could not do these things without your support. Our students are greatly appreciative for this wonderful blessing of new items to produce our theater arts productions.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation & Think It Up Supporters and 3 other donors.Winter Nourishment for Hungry Minds and Bodies
Funded Dec 8, 2015We must thank you for the generous donations you made in order for us to have hot beverages in the morning. The breakfasts the school serves are often cold, so it has been nice to get hot chocolate and coffee to make us feel warm inside. The hot chocolate was delicious. We set the Keurigs out before school as well as during first period. Hundreds of students were able to get a hot beverage which we topped with whipped cream or marshmallows. Students truly appreciated this drink . It made them feel happy when going to class. We are still giving out warm beverages even though spring has arrived.
The beverages have complemented our Breakfast with Books program as well. Students have joined book clubs in the library where our Culinary Arts students prepare breakfast for our readers. They were also able to get hot beverages while reading books. We learned that students perform better when they are not cold and have a full stomach. We are all able to concentrate better on subject matter when we feel better and are not worried about eating something.Thank you again for your wonderful donation.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Ashoka & Think It Up Supporters and 5 other donors.Bartram Student Revolution Movement
Funded Mar 9, 2016We are proud of our efforts within the Bartram Revolution Movement at our high school. We have dedicated ourselves to become the peace makers, the problem solvers and the conflict resolution specialists at Bartram. Why? We have seen the decline of friendships, thoughtful interactions and effective communication among young adults at our school. Our mission was to change the mindset of all the stakeholders at our school. The only way forward was to develop strategies to make people come together. That is why we requested the tablets to utilize within our classroom.
Technology can bridge the gaps in communication skills in today's society. Everyone is on a cell phone, Twitter or Facebook. The tablets have brought positive interactions among our students. These tablets have provided reading selections about bullying, games to play together, research about how to defuse fighting and conflicts and writing diaries on the tablets. These devices have helped students to express themselves through art, poetry and writing down thoughts. We encourage our troubled friends to enhance their lives through technology.
This stage of the year is one where we focus on the future. We are all seniors, and we must pass the baton to future seniors. We have been brainstorming together to create new ideas, fundraise and develop new and exciting strategies to bring new students into the fold. The tablets will assist us in this manner. We thank all our great donors for allowing us to make a difference at Bartram High School.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Ashoka & Think It Up Supporters and 8 other donors.Nurturing A Garden of Young Minds- He Named Me Malala
Funded Sep 30, 2015I would love to tell you about our trip, the projects we conducted to make connections with Malala, and the conclusions we made after seeing her story in film. The trip did not run as smoothly as hoped with the transportation company assigned for buses. This was the only fly in the ointment. The travel company rearranged our bus schedule repeatedly, so things got rather confusing at the ned. On the day of the trip, I called the bus company and was told that no buses were scheduled to get us to the movie. This was disastrous, but as the time of departure was near, they called and had arranged for two buses to pick us up. Over sixty students went to see the movie. They were respectful and attentive during the movie and saw that anyone can overcome obstacles in their lives.
When we returned, there was a debriefing about the movie experience. Many enjoyed the movie although some did not care for it. They all came away with a positive message though to make a difference in the lives of others. To make connections to the movie, students did a lot of research about Malala and her struggles. They incorporated things about her life into our everyday lessons. They grew foods in the gardens which Malala might have consumed in Pakistan. They used these items in cooking classes to prepare regional foods from her home. Students also studied about the Nobel Peace Prize and how one would receive such an honor. Students had their own ceremony to give each other prizes for special traits they possessed like physical activity, bravery, peer assistance and other fields. Students also drew pictures, sketches and did some painting to represent Malala, her personality and things she lived through.
The whole experience made students aware that they can make a significant difference in their own communities. This was the greatest item taken from the movie watching session. They realized they have to be leaders themselves within their own neighborhoods. Thank you very much for allowing my students to share in the life of Malala.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
Best Chef Competition and Healthy Recipes Collection
Funded Nov 16, 2015We, the students at Bartram High School, want to share our experience and appreciation for providing the materials necessary for our project. The cooking supplies helped us refurbish a kitchen area at our school where a Culinary Arts program began a few months ago. As part of this program, we had a Healthy Cooking Competition where students could cook items in a healthy manner. A certified chef gave us instructions to select fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins from a local market. We purchased the items, and we were given five minutes to select from the pantry just like on the show "Top Chef". Only we were the top chefs at our school. We each made one dish in a certain category such as appetizer, lunch, dinner and dessert. Judges for the competition came from the community in Southwest Philadelphia. Dishes were judged based on creativity, appearance, taste and overall usage of healthy items. There were three winners in each category. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and we developed a cookbook with all our great recipes included in it. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by ExxonMobil & Think It Up Supporters and 15 other donors.