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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Milianta-Laffin from Houston, TX is requesting other through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Milianta-Laffin is requesting

CoCo Needs a Home!

My students need a home, bedding, and food for our pet guinea pig CoCo!

  • $191 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Milianta-Laffin for her next project!

Help Mrs. Milianta-Laffin

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Milianta-Laffin for her next project!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Tyrone was throwing chairs and swearing at his teacher and the students in his 1st grade class when I entered the room. Not knowing what to do, I asked Tyrone to walk with me to the Lab to meet my "friend." He begrudgingly followed me, met and instantly fell in love with CoCo the guinea pig.

Tyrone called CoCo a "bunny." At first, most of the roughly 900 students on my Pre-K - 4th grade elementary school campus don't know what to call the furry little creature in the dilapidated hand-me-down Chihuahua cage near my desk.

But she makes them curious, and curiosity feeds the spirit and the brain in my lab. My students are familiar with caring for themselves, and caring for younger siblings. Over 80% of our student population receive free lunch, and are therefore deemed "at-risk" by the the state. They are not familiar with how to care for small animals, how to hold or pet them properly, or even what they eat. All of which makes CoCo an invaluable live-action "teachable moment" on a daily basis.

My Project

CoCo came to my lab from an 8th grade classroom. CoCo also didn't come to us as "CoCo," her former owners - 32 8th graders, mind you - named her "Sexy Chocolate." She had a collar and everything! The teacher emailed the district Science folks to say that she was allergic and that the guinea pig needed a new home. I pestered my principal until she let me pick CoCo up. "Sexy" became "CoCo" and my students became instantly enthralled by everything she did. The only problem that we've encountered is the cage situation. I want students to learn the responsibility to care for her by cleaning out the cage, but the current cage not safe for students to handle. CoCo also poops a lot, and her cage quickly attracts flies and smells awful, as it is not designed for a guinea pig. I can personally attest the smell as I am writing this over Thanksgiving Break and CoCo is living in my bathroom. Enter YOU! You have the ability to help us get CoCo a new home, and any help would be wonderful!

CoCo has become a fixture for learning Science on campus, except that her living fixture desperately needs an upgrade.

Students have learned responsibility, animal care, and those with behavior problems like Tyrone have been calmed by her presence. I can't see the lab without her in it. If you are able to help us get CoCo a new home, please give! You have no idea how much my students would appreciate it. Thank you for reading this proposal and for supporting the fabulous DonorsChoose!

Mrs. Milianta-Laffin Alexander Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mrs. Milianta-Laffin

Houston, TX View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

800 students impacted 5donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
My First Home Complete Guinea Pig Kit • Nasco $69.95 1 $69.95
Cedar Chips - 1000 Cu In • Sargent-Welch $12.11 4 $48.44

Materials cost

$118.39

Vendor shipping charges

 $7.00

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$1.78

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$162.17

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$28.62

Total project goal

$190.79

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $190.79

3 Donors

-$180.79

Donations toward project cost

-$153.67

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$27.12

match offer

-$10.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$8.50

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$1.50

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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Project Activity

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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. Milianta-Laffin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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