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This teacher needs your help!

Dr. Thomas from Paterson, NJ is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Dr. Thomas is requesting

Help Us Learn Why The Caged Bird Sings

Help me give my students the joy of learning, through the experiences of an American icon, how the literary arts can be a tool to overcome trauma and bless others with the hopes of doing the same.

  • $395 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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.

Celebrate Black Teachers and Students

This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.

My Students

I am blessed to serve a group of students who are grateful to have a teacher who loves them and cares for them, one who teaches life skills as well as the required curriculum.. They enjoy very close relationships with one another as most of them have been together since kindergarten; and they grow close with the teachers and adults who love them, encourage them, help them to find direction, and give them hope that they can be successful in their lives.

Many of my students have seen little to no academic and economic success in their families; my job, with your help, is to provide them with the resources they need to change that narrative for their future generations.

My students are predominantly first and second generation Latin Americans and African Americans. More than ninety percent qualify for free or reduced price lunch. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and for your donations.

My Project

These books will help me continue to instill in my students a love for reading that opens up doors to new worlds and new possibilities that they might not otherwise imagine as many of the children I teach grow up with little knowledge as to how big the world actually is and are unaware of the limitless life choices available to them. Please join me in my mission to inspire them to realize the greatness with which they were born through the joy of reading.

Learning to read for fun increases wisdom, knowledge, and morality, encouraging children to demand more from themselves and expect more out of life.

Maya Angelou's story is just the book I need to help my students learn to dream and achieve. Recently, we were reading aloud Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of a Slave where he was detailing how slaves would "sing the most pathetic sentiment in the most rapturous tone, and the most rapturous sentiment in the most pathetic tone;" and I remarked how The Blues was born out of the experience of slavery and how art is often used to provide healing, as the therapeutic value of giving written and artistic expression to the lament that lies within is an invaluable gift.

I then mentioned Maya Angelou's story and asked my children how many of them would want to read it. Every hand in the room spring up as they were all intrigued and wanted to know more. Immediately, I began worrying how I would afford to purchase these books for my students. Then I thought of the wonderful people who support the many projects on DonorsChoose. I ask you to please help me continue to give my students the best educational experience possible during this, their eighth-grade year.

Dr. Thomas
Grades 6-8

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Dr. Thomas 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
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings • AKJ Education $5.83 50 $291.50
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Teacher Guide NU4849 • AKJ Education $9.48 1 $9.48

Materials cost

$300.98

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$4.51

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$335.49

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$59.20

Total project goal

$394.69

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $394.69

1 Donor

-$335.49

Donations toward project cost

-$335.49

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$0.00

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$59.20

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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 Dr. Thomas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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