Past projects 6
Knights and Dreams: A Journey Through Don Quixote's Spain
Funded Apr 8, 2025Thank you so much for your generous support. The project is funded, so I will be able to give my students their book as they head off for summer break. Hopefully, they will do some reading before we return to school in the fall so we can finish the novel before our trip in March 2026!
Thank you again for making this possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin
Keep Calm and Carry Yarn
Funded Sep 28, 2022Thank you so much for your support! We were able to buy enough yarn and supplies for all of our projects. Our students made several projects last semester including: scarves, gloves, socks, sweaters, vests, flowers, animals, etc. Some students have used yarn to complete their projects, while others have used the yarn to learn basic stitches and to practice. We will use the rest of the yarn this semester for more projects!
The Knitting and Crocheting seminar meets every other Wednesday and Crochet Club meets on the alternate Wednesday. These spaces not only provide students a place to work on their craft, but also provide a relaxing break from our sometimes stressful academic environment and an opportunity for social interaction. Studies have shown that knitting and crocheting can relieve stress, improve cognitive and motor function, and give one a sense of pride.
I love that our knitting and crocheting group has become such a fun and supportive community. I love watching our expert yarnsters teaching our novices. Students return semester after semester and week after week because it is a creative, safe, and relaxing space. Your donation has given my students the materials they need to learn a new skill, hone a craft, and create community.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin
Cost Efficiency of Plants vs. Scrubbers at Removing Pollution
Funded Nov 27, 2018My project sought to determine whether industrial pollutant scrubbers or plants were the most cost-efficient was to remove pollution created by factories and power plants. In order to do this, I performed research to find the removal efficiencies and costs of industrial methods, and then conducted an experiment on two species of plants, golden pothos and ferns, in order to determine their efficiencies. I would then compute the cost for removing pollution with each method in order to determine which was the most cost-effective way to remove pollution, as there have not yet been any studies which have sought to determine this.
Without the Foobot Air Quality Monitor, I would not have been able to collect the data I needed for my project. It was critical to conducting my experiment as it provided the air pollution readings in real-time, which allowed me to collect data on how much pollution the plants were able to remove. I used the Foobot to collect readings on the levels of CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the enclosed environment that I put the plant in.
I conducted full-day experiments where one of the two plants would remain inside the environment with the Foobot and pollution, and I would record the levels of pollution every half hour. The plants were exposed to carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds. The data I collected from each of my experiments was then used to create four graphs: two for each plant, with each of those two graphs showing the change in the level of pollution over time. These graphs were able to show the rate at which each plant removed each pollutant. I was then able to create a line of best fit from the scatterplot in order to calculate the rate of pollution removal by each plant. With these measurements, I was able to compute the total amount of grams of pollution that each plant could remove in a year. I then also used this to determine how many megawatt hours of electricity would have been produced with this much pollution, and then determined the cost to remove pollution for each MWh produced. With both the total amount of pollution removed and the cost to remove it for each MWh of electricity produced, I am able to directly compare the efficiencies of plants to those of the industrial scrubbers, as these were the units that the cost of scrubber systems were expressed in.
Moving forward, my next steps are to complete my cost analysis in order to determine how the start up costs and costs to remove pollution compare between the two methods. This will allow me to conclude which method is most cost effective.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin
Icelandic Voices 2018
Funded Jan 16, 2018Going to Iceland made this year special for the whole choir to show what an impact the trip made on all of us, and what memories we will take with us for the rest of our lives, we'd like to share some of our favorite experiences and highlights from the trip.
One of the groups favorite activities was whale watching. While we didn't see any humpback whales, we did see some awesome dolphins, and have a great time traversing the North Atlantic Ocean. It was cold and raining, but that didn't stop us from having fun. We had such a good time in fact that on the way home, we had an impromptu concert on the top of the boat, in the wind and the rain.
Iceland also brought our the members of our group closer together. Each of our hostel style rooms held 10-14 people, so each contained a mix of close friends and friends we were just beginning to know. The result was an unrivaled sense of community that brought everyone closer together. One room even began cooking together using the communal kitchens and ingredients found in Icelandic grocery stores.
One of the most outstanding aspects of Iceland was the breathtaking scenery that was truly abundant in Iceland. Our choir traveled the Golden Circle which includes waterfalls, geysers, and volcanoes. One of our favorite spots was the tectonic rift between the North American and Eurasian plates. It was a massive 40 foot canyon filled with glacial ice and magnetic sand. It was truly other-worldly and quite the sight for fifty city students.
We also had the honor of performing a collaborative concert with an Icelandic choir composed of students approximately the same age as we were. We each shared our own repertoire and then made amazing music together singing in Icelandic and English. They were generous and warm. It is incredible to think that we prepared our music on two different continents and came together to sing as one ensemble. Music is a universal language.
Going to Iceland profoundly changed the Walter Payton Concert choir in ways that only an eye opening travel experience could, and for that, we are grateful. Iceland made a significant impact on the group as a whole but also each individual member. New friendships were formed and it made the whole group stronger. Between the beautiful mountains, and the closeness of the group, our choir reached new heights, both physically and metaphorically.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin
Icelandic Voices
Funded Oct 24, 2017Walter Payton College Prep HS is one of the selective enrollment schools in the Chicago public school district. The mission of the choir is to offer talented high school singers the highest level of choral artistry while fostering personal and interpersonal growth. As our most advance ensemble at the school, they represent Payton, Chicago, and the United States as
ambassadors of hope and a brighter future wherever they go. The 52-voice ensemble sings a
wide range of repertoire including many genres. Their energy and enthusiasm is inspirational.
These singers routinely receive superior ratings in local contests and many of the members
sing in the highly selective Regional and All State choirs. In 2016 the choir had the honor of
traveling to Argentina where they collaborated with three Argentine choirs and presented
concerts around Buenos Aires.
This trip to Iceland will avail these urban singers a unique perspective on our world. We will be presenting a concert in collaboration with a choir from Laurgarvatn. In addition we will be
offering three other concerts at various venues. The trip is designed to incorporate the study of the ecology and environment of Iceland as well as the landscape and customs of its people.
Walter Payton is a public school and the students come from a wide variety of socio-economic settings. It is always our goal to offer these enriching experiences to all of our students regardless of their financial situation. Over the next few months we will be engaged in various fundraising activities. Whenever possible, we like to offer our performance as a choir to raise these funds. By offering performances, the students not only gain additional performance experience, but the organization is given a front row seat to exciting live choral music.
Your donation has enabled the purchase of garment bags for our choir students to protect the gowns and tuxedos. We have used the bags while traveling to our local performances and will take the bags with us to Iceland.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin
3 Countries 3 Climbs: City Kids Take on the UK
Funded Dec 6, 2016We hated it...
By "it" we mean coming back! Our trip was a jolly good success! Our first stop was London, England. We were able to experience typical Londoner things such as riding the Tube (their train system). Although we were all very tired from traveling, we set off into the streets of London, making sure to look RIGHT when crossing the streets (with a few close calls).
After we had our first Full English Breakfast, we hopped on the coach bus to Windermere, a small town in England. For most of us city kids, the vast stretches of trees were a welcome surprise. Little did we know that the shock of these natural wonders were to be completely shattered by the incredible experience of peaking our first mountain, Old Man Coniston.
The next morning, Paula picked us up in her big coach bus to take us to Edinburgh, Scotland. Upon arrival we couldn't help but notice the antique beauty within a cosmopolitan city. For most of us, Edinburgh was our favorite city, full of history, beauty, and hills that we don't have in Chicago. Scotland is home to the tallest mountain in Great Britain, and we were all incredibly honored and excited to be able to hike it.
Our final stop on our long adventure was Ireland. In Westport, Ireland we stayed with a very nice woman named Mary. She made us feel very welcomed and comfortable in the hostel. In Westport, we climbed the Holy Mountain of Ireland, Croagh Patrick. Although this was the shortest of the three mountains, it was the most challenging to climb and descend. However, it was an amazing experience that we wouldn't change when we saw the beauty of the Irish coast from the chapel at the top of the mountain.
Overall, we all got closer with one another, we experienced new things for the first time with each other, and we conquered three mountains together. The bonds created on this trip might just be the most memorable part of our trip.
We are looking forward to climbing more mountains, whether symbolic or real ones, whether in Illinois or elsewhere in the country or world. We experienced nature in such a beautiful and new way. These are experiences we will always remember, and we will always look back on this with love and nostalgia in our hearts.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Catlin