District 75 houses the highest needs special needs students and, oftentimes, these students also fall into the highest needs economically disadvantaged category. Over 90% of my students fall into this category. We are a 12-month program, where students attend year-round to receive services.
My students are part of the largest school district in the country (the NYC DOE) and fall into the highest needs category.
For years, I have poured my own money into my classroom, but it is not enough! I have reached out to local community members and collected used and refurbished computers, but they do not meet the requirements to run modern software.
I teach grades K-8 and a total of 9 classes, a daily lunch club, and a weekly positive behavior intervention club as a reward for students. All students would have access to these resources! That is why today, I am reaching out for global support to help our highest needs students get an equal chance to succeed! We truly need your assistance to level the playing field. Many students come from homes that do not have Internet access or technology, further increasing the achievement gap.
My Project
3 years ago, I had a freak accident that resulted in the loss of motion in my hands due to a chemical burn. Fortunately, after over a year of occupational and physical therapy, I regained full motion. For months I made no progress until an occupational therapist created a specialized brace for me free-of-charge. From that moment, I began seeing significant progress. I would like to pay it forward and put my students at the helm of this project!
Since that traumatic experience, I began researching 3D-printed prosthetic limbs.
My students and I have been using low-end printers and have been modifying them over the last year. Doing this, we have been able to accomplish amazing things, but the quality never compares to a high-end machine.
We focused on creating super hero-themed hands and had the honor of presenting at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, NYC, June 2018, I presented at a city-wide edtech conference #NYCSchoolTech Summit (you can Google me and watch the video on Youtube) where I talk about how to modify an inexpensive 3D printer to build prosthetic limbs, and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, is exhibiting our Iron Man prosthetic hand we created from November 15, 2018 – the end of June 2019!
My students need a LulzBot 3D Printer and accessories because it is the least expensive 3D printer capable of printing prosthetic limbs.
My goal is to use this printer to build parts to enhance less-expensive printers. We will turn them into quality printers capable of printing prosthetic limbs. We will then share our work with other schools throughout the country. I want to empower my students and give them an opportunity that will change their lives, by changing the life of someone their own age! #TechForGood #TechForHumanity #Kindess #Edtech
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 Mr. Kamer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
