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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Hooten from Bedford, IN is requesting reading nooks, desks & storage through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Hooten is requesting

Outdoor Student-Centered Nature Environment

My students need child seating, bird baths, bird feeders, bird seed, landscaping fabric and staples, and rubber mallets.

  • $999 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

My Students

We have over 90 great gardeners in our gardening club; however, all 310 students can participate during school hours in gardening if their teacher chooses. Another teacher and I started up our school garden club last year, Lincoln Green Thumbs. We meet up to two times a week to learn about gardening, composting, conservation, cooking with our produce, etc.

We keep their attention by varying our activities by using both indoor and outdoor classrooms.

Our small southern Indiana school is a school-wide Title I facility in which funds are limited. Our school is made of kindergarteners through fifth graders. We have two special education classes and fifteen regular education classes.

Our community has a 40% obesity rate, and we're working hard to change that starting with our students! Therefore, we are teaching our students how and why to grow their own food.

My Project

We dream BIG at Lincoln Elementary School! Lincoln Green Thumbs is a K-5 after-school garden club that was started last year because two teachers wanted to dream BIG. In the last year, we have added a Phase 2 outdoor garden with 26 raised beds for our fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for pollinators; an orchard with 14 fruit trees; a 3-bin composter, and an outdoor shed. We have raised our school state academic achievement and growth grade from a “B” to an “A”. The kids, staff, and parents are excited about that!! Research proves that children gardening and participating in nature activities not only raises test scores, but also a multitude of other positive benefits.

We would like to add seating for our students, mulch around the raised beds, several bird feeders, and a couple bird baths.

I have also designed a webpage for teachers who are interested in starting a student-centered garden at their school. We would like to turn our nature center into more of a student-centered learning environment so that they can sit while learning and enjoying nature. Our students are loving what they’re learning. The seating would add space for children to just read in nature. The bird feeders, feed, and baths would encourage birds to visit as well. The landscaping fabric, staples, and mallets will help with the mulching in this area. These birds will help pollinate the children’s fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Children can learn more about nature while being in nature setting. Although we have big plans, we are taking it step by step due to fact that we have to raise all the funds on our own. Thank you for reading about our next step! A special thank you to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation!

Mrs. Hooten
Grades 3-5
    More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

    This project will reach 310 students.

    8 donors have given to this project.

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Hooten is requesting.

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Lifetime 60054 Convertible Bench / Table, Faux Wood Construction • Amazon Business $140.99 4 $563.96
Perky-Pet 325S Panorama Bird Feeder • Amazon Business $21.59 4 $86.36
Premium 3 Ft X 300 Ft [100 Yards] Weed Control Landscape Fabric (New Design) • Amazon Business $34.99 2 $69.98
Wagner's 13013 Four Season Wild Bird Food, 40-Pound Bag • Amazon Business $19.01 2 $38.02
300 Garden Landscape Fabric Staples Strong Durable 6 Inch Steel Made in USA By Pinnacle Mercantile • Amazon Business $29.98 1 $29.98
TEKTON 30508 Wood Handle Rubber Mallet Set, 3-Piece • Amazon Business $18.40 1 $18.40

Materials cost

$806.70

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$12.10

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$848.80

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$149.79

Total project goal

$998.59

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $998.59

7 Donors

-$499.29

Donations toward project cost

-$424.40

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$74.89

match offer

-$499.29

Match offer toward project cost

-$424.40

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$74.89

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Hooten and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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