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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Czarka from Bronx, NY is requesting classroom basics through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Czarka is requesting

Growing in English Through Growing Fungi

Help me give my students materials to create school fungi garden zones to learn English through ecology lessons.

  • $557 goal

This project expired on May 6, 2025.

This project expired on May 6, 2025.

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 Project

Our school has an outdoor classroom and garden that serves as an educational beacon for newly arrived immigrants to learn English through gardening, ecological restoration, and community-building projects. Though our school community resides within a food desert, our students can create local food sources, including through growing and harvesting mushrooms (fungi), as an ongoing community service project that promotes nutrition and environmental stewardship- with your help!

When students grow mushrooms they can become empowered to lead hands-on community service projects that restore and nurture not only the natural world but communities like ours too.

Our students will learn English while learning about the different roles fungi play in our lives, from food sources to mental health support to ecological restoration. Students will explore indoor and outdoor edible fungi growing opportunities that will foster inquiry and authentic opportunities to learn English.

The mushroom spawn and filter bags, sealed with rubber bands, will allow our students to grow mushrooms. The toilet paper will be a growing substrate or medium for the mushroom spawn to thrive. The pot, pan, tongs, cooling racks, oven mitts, gloves, push pins, and hot plate will allow us to boil water to sanitize and hydrate the growing medium. The sign will highlight the decomposition role of fungi in the environment within the school garden. The disinfectant wipes will ensure students have a sterile location for cultivating the mushrooms.

We look forward to allowing students to have hands-on learning opportunities indoors and outdoors to cultivate community through mushrooms. They will be empowered to connect to nature, use more and more English, and explore ecological principles. We are confident that our students will be taking a big step toward a healthier community. Won't you help our students grow and thrive?

Mr. Czarka PS 48 Joseph R Drake Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mr. Czarka

Bronx, NY View local requests

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

80 students impacted

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Oyster TeePee™ Kit • Field and Forest Products $35.00 2 $70.00
Filter Disc Bags • Field and Forest Products $60.00 1 $60.00
Golden Oyster Hardwood Pellet Block Kit • Field and Forest Products $55.00 1 $55.00
CAROTE Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet,Non Stick Granite Fry Pan with Glass Lid, Egg Pan Omelet Pans, Stone Cookware Chef's Pan, PFOA Free (Classic Granite, 10-Inch) • Amazon Business $27.99 1 $27.99
Lion's Mane - (Hericium erinaceus) Rye Grain Spawn • Field and Forest Products $24.00 1 $24.00
Shiitake LE3790 Grain Spawn • Field and Forest Products $24.00 1 $24.00
IMUSA 12 Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Lid • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
OVENTE Electric Countertop Single Burner, 1000W Cooktop with 7.25 Inch Cast Iron Hot Plate, 5 Level Temperature Control, Compact Cooking Stove and Easy to Clean Stainless Steel Base, Black BGS101B • Amazon Business $18.96 1 $18.96
Metal Poster Plaque Soil Love Compost in Your Victory Garden Retro Metal Tin Sign Vintage Aluminum Sign for Home Decor Room Metal Decor 12x16 Inch • Amazon Business $15.98 1 $15.98
2 Pcs Cooling Rack for Cooking and Baking, 14.5"x10" Stainless Steel Cookie Cooling Rack, Thick Wire Rack for Baking Sheet, Baking Rack for Roasting, Grilling, Dishwasher Oven Safe,Fit Half Sheet Pan • Amazon Business $7.98 2 $15.96
Scott ComfortPlus Toilet Paper, 12 Double Rolls, 231 Sheets per Roll, Septic-Safe, 1-Ply Toilet Tissue • Amazon Business $4.47 3 $13.41
Bob's Red Mill High Fiber Wheat Bran, 16 OZ (Pack of 2) • Amazon Business $12.02 1 $12.02
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes Value Pack, Bleach Free Cleaning Wipes, 75 Count Each, Pack of 4 • Amazon Business $11.75 1 $11.75
Measuring Cup - 8 oz. • Kaplan Early Learning Company $2.66 4 $10.64
Silicone Oven Mitts-13.6 in Extended Oven Mitts Heat Resistant 500F, Oven Gloves with Soft Liner Good Grippy BPA-Free Easy to Clean Flexible-Oven Mits Set for Cooking Baking Grilling BBQ-Black • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Chef Craft Premium Silicone Cooking Tongs, 12 inch, Green • Amazon Business $7.05 1 $7.05
ForPro Disposable Vinyl Gloves, Clear, Industrial Grade, Powder-Free, Latex-Free, Non-Sterile, Food Safe, 2.75 Mil. Palm, 3.9 Mil. Fingers, Medium, 100-Count • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
ForPro Disposable Vinyl Gloves, Clear, Industrial Grade, Powder-Free, Latex-Free, Non-Sterile, Food Safe, 2.75 Mil. Palm, 3.9 Mil. Fingers, Small, 100-Count • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Amazon Basics Push Pins Tacks, Clear Plastic Head, Steel Point, 200-Pack • Amazon Business $3.76 1 $3.76

Materials cost

$409.48

Vendor shipping charges

 $27.61

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$6.14

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$473.23

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$83.51

Total project goal

$556.74

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

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