My students need to escape from society and experience 3 days IN THE WILD of Anza Borrego State Park using homemade camping equipment such as soda can stoves, tents, & coolers.
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
Imagine... going INTO THE WILD for 3 days and 2 nights, sleeping in homemade tents, storing food in homemade coolers, cooking food on stoves made from soda cans, and using headlamps made out of mint cans. Imagine... an unforgettable escape from society. Imagine... the impact of this experience.
My students are different.
They aren't what you think of when you walk into a classroom. There are no desks, only tables and groups of students. There are no regular formal lectures, just opportunities to share some of the knowledge that I have with them. There are no quiet students - they are too busy working with their group members on projects and problems.
Our school provides students with a project-based learning environment. In this type of environment, the teacher is given autonomy to design projects around curriculum that they choose. Students are given an opportunity to learn subject matter in depth, versus whipping through a host of topics that they will likely forget. They are provided with unforgettable learning experiences, because learning is an adventure, where students take risks and teach me just as much as I teach them. Learning is never mundane.
Classes are small, allowing teachers to really get to know the students they work with. It is a school like no other.
My Project
I am requesting funds for the logistical aspects of this trip. In order to get students Into the Wild, we need to have places to camp (campsites through Reserve America) and a bus to haul our gear and ourselves 2 hours East (provided by Grand Pacific Charter). While many of the day-to-day expectations are removed, food is not one of them - we need to be able to feed our students. Therefore, the final request is for money to purchase food.
This project is life-changing for students.
Many have never had the opportunity to explore nature and remove themselves from their daily lives. This trip breaks down the walls of the classroom, and takes learning to a whole new level. The traditional student cliques are retired, new friendships are formed, and appreciations for differences are discovered.
More than half 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
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 Mrs. Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
