Past projects 9
7th Graders LOVE Arts and Crafts!
Funded Aug 15, 2024Thank you for your generosity! This project is going to bring so much joy to my 7th graders this year. I am confident that with the explosion of creativity prompted by this project, academic outcomes will also improve. A few years ago, when we started doing crafts with our middle schoolers, we heard several times from the back of the room "I feel like I'm a kid again!" which is exactly the goal. Childhood is so short and once it's over, that's it. Thank you for helping our students to retain even a small bit of their child like wonder this school year.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.We Hear You Loud and Clear!
Funded Aug 14, 2024Thank you so much for your generosity! This wireless voice amplifier is going to be a game changer this school year. Being able to speak in my normal tone, without having to project or raise my voice will help my classroom remain a calm, learning centered space. It will also help me keep my voice this year! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 3 other donors.Kids Learn History in Color!
Funded Aug 29, 2023You have made all of my teaching dreams come true. So far, with your gift of my beautiful new printer I have been able to create an annotation guide, modified and color coded reading assignments, classroom decor, and samples of digital student work. These materials are vibrant and eye catching so much so that my students are asking to use them, rather than begrudgingly accepting them.
Things I've been wanting for years, like a short cut guide for Google Docs, are literally at my fingertips with this new machine (each student has one to keep for their use this year!) Primary source documents have been popping off the page next to the text and with it student interest. Students who don't have a Chromebook no longer need to be satisfied with a boring black and white copy of the work their classmates are completing in vibrant color.
With your generosity, our classroom color printer has become a beloved member of our class, increasing access to an equitable school experience for all learners. Thank you, from the bottom of my teacher heart.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
Reading History (in Color!)
Funded Sep 5, 2021Thank you SO MUCH for your kindness and generosity! I’m only just getting to know my students, but after two weeks, I can already tell that they are hungry for stories. These graphic novels, comic books, and picture books are going to be a fabulous addition to my classroom library. Thank you for helping me bring stories to my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
Behind Every Great Library Is A Great Bookshelf
Funded Aug 14, 2021Thank you so much for your generosity! This was my biggest project yet and I cannot stress enough how thankful I am that so many individuals found value in my vision.
I promise my students every year that in my class they will read and they will think. I cannot wait to use this piece to highlight new and exciting things to read and think about.
Thank you for making it all possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 16 other donors.History Reading Is FUNdamental!
Funded Aug 27, 2019Thank you SO much for your generous donations to my classroom. This project has a really special place in my heart, because it's my first that was not primarily funded by my own friends and family. To receive such gorgeous resources from people I've never even met brings me an immense amount of joy.
It also brings me joy to know that my students are OBSESSED with these books. Many of my students are using them as a foundation for a big research project, and it has been so helpful to be able to direct students to a huge library of books when they are struggling. They have truly gravitated to the multicultural nature of the resources, with volumes on Pele, Selena, and Cesar Chavez being particularly popular.
Thank you so much for this gift that will continue to give for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
Eyes on Supplies!
Funded Mar 14, 2019Thank you SO MUCH for your contribution to our class. For weeks we had been at the point where we'd been struggling to find pencils for everyone to use. My pencil jar is now FULL of this essential resource.
The kids in Mrs. KB's class are so excited every time I break out a new box of pencils. We usually do a "pencil trade" so that the kids who had pencils can get shiny new ones. The traded pencils go into the pencil jar and are free to ANY student I teach at any point in the day if they need one. They don't have to give them back, and they don't even have to ask...they can just take one.
Maslow theorized that before real learning can happen, basic needs need to be met. For many students, the psychological impact of not being prepared and organized can ruin a whole day, week, month, or even year. I've given out 5 folders since receiving our new supplies and at least 36 pencils. Already I've seen these students who need the security of these basic needs begin to perk up. They're more involved and alert than some of them have been in weeks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. From the back of our supply closet (now full) and the bottom of our hearts!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
Listening to Each Other, Together
Funded Aug 23, 2018Thank you SO much for your generous donation of headphones and splitters for our classroom. My students have made serious use of these materials in many different ways. We've taken some virtual field trips to places like Ellis Island, we've completed research modules in teams to learn skills for our National History Day projects, and we've created digital summaries of our learning on WeVideo (just to name a few.) The high quality headphones have given all of my students the opportunity to participate in these activities.
Our school has 1 to 1 technology, which means that all students are issued a chromebook for their time in middle school. This give us opportunities to extend our students learning in many ways. Being a Title 1 school means that many of our students would not otherwise have access to technology. For years I have envisioned a class where students can use their chromebooks to individualize their learning. The missing piece was always headphones. Before your generous gift, we were limited to activities that were silent, but not anymore!
The most exciting thing about this gift however is something that most students probably aren't thinking about: equity. Before we had class headphones, students who did not own their own pair of headphones were singled out when headphones became a necessary resource. If we were working on a chromebook assignment that needed headphones but a student's device was broken or not present, they could not participate. With our new class resources, there is nothing keeping students from participating. USB connections mean that even the rare student with a broken AUX jack can now participate. There is nothing standing in their way!
Thank you again for this gift. Even as I write, my students are asking to borrow headphones to learn and create, knowing the resource is freely available. We all cannot thank you enough!
Sincerely, Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.Bringing History To Life with Documentary Film Making
Funded Aug 27, 2017Our students have loved having the opportunity to use their camcorders. It is a technology that they're not often exposed to, and just the possibility of its use gives them joy. They have used these materials to facilitate social interaction among one another and assign roles in group work. They have also been able to use it to see themselves as they work in class, which has been a really exciting prospect for them.
Students this year used your generous gift to create short movies about the Spanish American War, tying in today's media climate with the media climate that contributed to the start of that conflict. After using the cameras to record components of their film, they used school issued technology to tie it together with primary sources and narration to create a product of which they were extremely proud.
The cameras have sparked interest from students that it's very hard to spark interest from. They are clamoring to have a chance to use exciting technology and exercising care and caution that I've rarely seen from some. Thank you for giving all of my students the chance to explore new frontiers with your generous gift.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kriss-Broubalow
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 7 other donors.