Our school is located in a rural, socio-economically depressed area. The needs assessment indicates that in comparison to other districts in the state, the district is ranked at the bottom, 83rd of 85, in wealth per student and has a high percentage of student dropouts. Academically, only 24.9 percent of students scored proficient or above on the language arts portion of the state’s standardized, and no school in the district made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2008-2009 as determined by No Child Left Behind. This data indicates that students in our district are some of the most at-risk students in the state. We are a 7th and 8th grade school that feeds into a single high school.
My school is located in a very rural area. Students are not well traveled and when the football team recently traveled to an away game and crossed our large lake looked out and asked "Is that the ocean?". It is because this lack of travel and familiarity of geography in general that Caching in on Geo-caching would be the avenue to assist them in becoming more geographical aware.
In order to participate in "Caching in on Geography" students need the tools to locate the cache. Having a hand-held GPS will give the students the opportunity not only to use the technology but to use in a real-world event.
Your assistance will ensure that my students will become more geographically aware. Allowing them to participate in a real-world activity either by seeking or actually hiding a cache will be one more tool in making them appreciate and understand their surroundings. You will make it possible for them to get out of their rural surroundings with the appreciation of the bigger picture then just their backyard.
Nearly all 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
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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. Gerzema and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
