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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Zajac from Newaygo, MI is requesting educational kits & games through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Zajac is requesting

Riding Our Way to Balance and Strength

Help me give my students 10 Radio Flyer balance bikes and scooters in an effort to foster a love of exercise and to improve their gross motor skills and leg and core muscles.

  • $653 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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My Students

I teach full inclusion preschool in Newaygo County, a very rural community in West Michigan. My students are 3-5 years old and over half of my class are special needs students. Several of those students are medically fragile, while others have IEPs for Speech, OT, and/or PT.

My teaching team and I know how important daily outdoor activity is for the health and development of our students and we strive to go outside for at least an hour each day.

Outdoor play and the muscle development that comes with playing actively is especially important for my students with a weak core and motor strength, we know how good being outside is for preventing illness, and the restorative power of being outdoors in green spaces is so important for the mental and physical health of the children and the adult staff.

My Project

Living in a very rural area, many of my students do not have access to bicycles or scooters because there aren't safe sidewalks or roads where they can ride. At school, we do have safe facilities where children can ride tricycles, but every year a number of our students struggle because they lack the leg strength and/or coordination to peddle our heavy tricycles. Scooters and balance bikes are much easier for children to learn to use and easily help them increase leg and core strength and coordination without the children getting overly frustrated.

Strong legs and core muscles are critical for children, especially as they reach school age, because it affects many areas of learning.

Children with poor core strength have poor endurance, not only for exercise or playing, but they struggle with sitting at their desk, they reach fatigue more quickly when writing and have poor fine motor control, they struggle with concentrating the learning topic as they focus on trying to control their body, and it can cause muscle and body aches from straining and overusing improper muscles as they slouch or prop themselves up on the desk.

The Radio Flyer balance bikes and scooters were chosen because they will be accessible and safe for all my students, were recommended by our Physical and Occupational Therapists, and are sturdy enough to last years but not so heavy that my students struggle with picking them up or using them. The balance bikes have traditional air-filled tires, which provide more traction and are safer on pavement. The portable air pump will be necessary for refilling the tires as needed, and the utility hooks will be used to safely store the bikes and scooters in our shed. These materials will be used by all 3 classrooms in our center.

Ms. Zajac Neway Center Grades PreK-2

More about Ms. Zajac

Newaygo, MI 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

22 students impacted 3donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Radio Flyer Air Ride Balance Bike, Toddler Bike, Ages 1.5-5 (Amazon Exclusive) (808Z) • Amazon Business $59.99 3 $179.97
Radio Flyer Lean 'N Glide Scooter with Light Up Wheels Vehicle (549X), Red • Amazon Business $34.97 3 $104.91
Radio Flyer Lean 'N Glide Scooter with Light Up Wheels Kids Scooters Blue • Amazon Business $34.97 3 $104.91
Intpro 12pack Steel Garage Storage Utility Double Hooks Organizer Heavy Duty Wall Mount Tool Holder for Organizing Power Tools Ladders Bulk Items • Amazon Business $27.98 2 $55.96
CYCPLUS 150 PSI Tire Pump Electric Compressor Air Pump with Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Portable Air Compressor for Cars, Motorbikes, Balls, Swim Rings and All Bicycles A3 Black • Amazon Business $39.99 1 $39.99
Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter, toddler toy for ages 2-5 (Amazon Exclusive) • Amazon Business $31.24 1 $31.24

Materials cost

$516.98

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.75

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$554.73

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$97.89

Total project goal

$652.62

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $652.62

2 Donors

-$326.30

Donations toward project cost

-$277.36

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$48.94

match offer

-$326.32

Match offer toward project cost

-$277.37

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$48.95

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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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 Ms. Zajac and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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