You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Yoder from Gwynn Oak, MD is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Yoder is requesting

Reading to Rise above Inner City Blues to Joy in Heart & Job

My students need 38 books, mostly about African Americans who overcame trouble, to encourage them to reach character and career success by rising above their own trouble.

  • $799 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Yoder for his next project!

Help Mr. Yoder

My Students

Help my students escape from the danger, boredom, and negativity of the inner city by putting 38 honest and positive books in their hands. Ideas can go anywhere, and my students can ride ideas in these books to ways of thinking about character and career that are not thought about in street life.

My students come from poverty in a city of Maryland.

Only 12 of our 880 students do not qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. Over 80 per cent of them come from dysfunctional homes. Their lives are difficult. Our school is a neighborhood school. We are not academically restrictive in accepting students, and we accept students who have been arrested and paroled. When explaining to my music students the need for parental approval to show "The Pianist," which is X-rated because of violence, one of my students said, "Mr. Y, our LIVES are x-rated [for violence]." There was not a snicker or rebuttal in the classroom. My students would like to have successful careers--in a safe neighborhood with a nice family, in addition to the child some of them have already parented and are caring for after school. They do not want to repeat the mistakes of generations before them. They would like to be successful in character and career, and good books with good values can help them succeed.

My Project

The 38 books that I am requesting are honest about life and success. They are books about musicians and leaders, and how they overcame personal and societal obstacles to be successful. They also explore careers and opportunities, and give my students the opportunity to start rising above the average 6th-grade reading level in our school. As a teenager, Jada Pinkett-Smith faced issues and self-doubts that girls in our school face, but now her seasoned and mature "Girls Hold Up The World," offers hope. Kanye West had to deal with the separation of his parents at the age of three, a move to another city, and racism, but in "Kanye West," his rise to success breathes courage. And the fact that Ray Charles' blindness was less crippling to him than his drug dependency--until he came clean--speaks volumes. The books will serve as part of our music classroom library, and will be used for projects and extra-credit opportunities. More importantly, they will be open windows to success and hope

Donations to this project will bring books to my classroom about persons whom my students have respected and admired for years.

The books will show not only how my students' heroes have overcome inner city and inner life problems to achieve successful careers, but also, how they saw the necessity of choosing values wisely to avoid greater problems than those they faced in their teenage years. Ideas are powerful, and the ideas in these books have the power to influence my students significantly.

Mr. Yoder Forest Park Senior High School 406 Grades 9-12

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

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. Yoder

Gwynn Oak, MD View local requests

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

120 students impacted 26donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

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

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Kirk Franklin, Church Boy: My Music and My Life Kirk Franklin, Jim Nelson Black • Barnes and Noble $13.78 1 $13.78
Mahalia Jackson Montrew Dunham • Barnes and Noble $12.81 1 $12.81
Marian Anderson: A Voice Uplifted (Sterling Biographies Series) Victoria Garrett Jones • Barnes and Noble $5.08 1 $5.08
Ray Charles: I Was Born with Music Inside Me Carin T. Ford • Barnes and Noble $24.26 1 $24.26
Moonwalk Michael Jackson • Barnes and Noble $17.10 1 $17.10
Raising Kanye Donda West, Karen Hunter, Kanye West • Barnes and Noble $13.76 1 $13.76
Kanye West Peggy Sue Wells • Barnes and Noble $21.97 1 $21.97
Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye Michael Eric Dyson • Barnes and Noble $11.13 1 $11.13
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations Mark Ribowsky • Barnes and Noble $17.74 1 $17.74
The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success, and Betrayal Mark Ribowsky • Barnes and Noble $14.57 1 $14.57
Lifetime to Get Here Diana Ross the Ame Tom Adrahtas, Thomas Adrahtas • Barnes and Noble $16.23 1 $16.23
Jennifer Hudson Gail Snyder • Barnes and Noble $8.50 1 $8.50
Odetta Stephen Alcorn • Barnes and Noble $12.16 1 $12.16
The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music Steve Lopez • Barnes and Noble $10.26 1 $10.26
Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945 Wladyslaw Szpilman, Wadysaw Szpilman • Barnes and Noble $10.26 1 $10.26
Alicia Keys: Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Actress, and Producer Russell Roberts • Barnes and Noble $8.50 1 $8.50
Tupac Shakur Carrie Golus • Barnes and Noble $28.43 1 $28.43
Finding Oprah's Roots: Finding Your Own Henry Louis Gates Jr. • Barnes and Noble $16.19 1 $16.19
Lauryn Hill Meg Greene • Barnes and Noble $5.67 1 $5.67
Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway, Stevie Wonder's Mother Dennis Love, Stacy Brown • Barnes and Noble $16.19 1 $16.19
Destiny's Child Dawn Fitzgerald, Manufactured by Chelsea House Publishers • Barnes and Noble $21.37 1 $21.37
I Will Survive: The Book Gloria Gaynor • Barnes and Noble $17.94 1 $17.94
Jamie Foxx Ananda Mitra • Barnes and Noble $25.65 1 $25.65
Long Road Outta Compton: Dr. Dre's Mom on Family, Fame and Terrible Tragedy Verna Griffin • Barnes and Noble $18.96 1 $18.96
I Never Walked Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer Shirley Verrett, With Christopher Brooks • Barnes and Noble $28.42 1 $28.42
Just the Two of Us Will Smith, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $5.97 1 $5.97
Woke Me Up This Morning: Black Gospel Singers and the Gospel Life Alan Young • Barnes and Noble $18.81 1 $18.81
Beyonce Geoffrey M. Horn • Barnes and Noble $19.94 1 $19.94
Beyonc : A Biography Janice Arenofsky • Barnes and Noble $26.60 1 $26.60
Will Smith Joe McGowan • Barnes and Noble $7.64 1 $7.64
Girls Hold Up This World Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jada Pinkett, Donyell Kennedy-Mccullough (Illustrator), Donyell Kennedy-McCullough (Photographer) • Barnes and Noble $11.59 1 $11.59
Mary J. Blige Jennifer Torres • Barnes and Noble $21.97 1 $21.97
Is It Just Me?: Or is it nuts out there? Whoopi Goldberg • Barnes and Noble $14.73 1 $14.73
Biography Coretta Scott King Stephanie Sammartino McPherson • Barnes and Noble $26.16 1 $26.16
Freedom Song: Young Voices and the Struggle for Civil Rights Mary C. Turck • Barnes and Noble $15.39 1 $15.39
How They Got Over Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $14.52 1 $14.52
Nat Love: African American Cowboy Sarah Penn • Barnes and Noble $8.55 1 $8.55
Courage Bernard Waber, Bernard Waber (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $10.26 1 $10.26

Materials cost

$599.06

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $35.94

3rd party payment processing fee

$8.99

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$678.99

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$119.82

Total project goal

$798.81

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $798.81

21 Donors

-$798.81

Donations toward project cost

-$678.99

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$119.82

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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 Mr. Yoder and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"MD","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":4,"name":"High School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/reading-to-rise-above-inner-city-blues-t/438619/","mayHaveReplacements":true,"numStudents":120,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Yoder","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"-1021974291","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"Gwynn Oak","teachersOnPage":[484528],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":438619,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"484528":{"owner":"Mr. Yoder","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[438619],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-5_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":35923,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["NjU2OTUx","Njg0NDYw","NjU3Mjc4","MTU3NjE1","MTg5MzIw","MzQ2NjIw","NDE1NTI4","Njg0NTUz","Njg0NDcy","NjgzOTE2","Njg0NTI0","Njg0OTI1","NjgyMzY1","Njg0NjE2","Njg1MDU4","NjY4OTg1","Njc3ODk5","Njg0Mzc5","Njg0ODMy","Njg1MDcy","Njg1MDY1"],"teacherId":484528,"schoolCounty":"Baltimore","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"MD","name":"Maryland"}}