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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Elam from Nashville, TN is requesting technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Elam is requesting

The Picture of Communication

My students need Boardmaker software.

  • $512 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Elam for her next project!

Help Ms. Elam

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Elam for her next project!

My Students

Communication is the key to the world. It opens your thoughts, feelings and dreams. It connects us as humans. And it gives us the opportunity to express ourselves to others. What a powerful lifelong skill we are working on!

My class is a lively group of 3, 4 and 5 year old students.

Our school is located in our city's oldest, largest, and poorest public housing development. We are a blended classroom, meaning that some of our students have learning differences or special needs and some are typically developing. Some of our students have autism, language or communication needs that make these skills especially challenging. Regardless of ability, all of our students are learning how to be strong communicators. We are practicing how to request, comment, initiate, and ask questions. We're learning how to ask for help. We're becoming familiar with following a school routine. And we're creating a predictable and structured environment through which we can create all of these rich learning opportunities.

My Project

Research has shown that children growing up in extreme poverty are exposed to fewer words, especially new vocabulary, each day as compared to children in other households. These language differences, combined with various special learning needs, makes our focus on communication and language even more important for our students. Symbol based communication is a way to build upon a child's existing tool set to foster more language through the use of pictures that are already familiar to our students. This software will allow us to create visual prompts, schedules, First/Then boards, choice and communication boards.

Your support of our project will give a voice to children who many have not had a way to communicate their thoughts, feelings, or ideas within the classroom.

These materials will also help us to clarify ideas, concepts, and expectations for children who may be a bit confused by oral directions or information. Most importantly, these materials will allow us to fully engage with one another in a manner that we all understand

Ms. Elam KIPP Kirkpatrick Elementary School Grades PreK-2

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

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Elam

Nashville, TN View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

16 students impacted 8donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Boardmaker v.6 for Mac • Mayer-Johnson $399.00 1 $399.00

Materials cost

$399.00

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.98

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$434.98

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$76.76

Total project goal

$511.74

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $511.74

4 Donors

-$460.43

Donations toward project cost

-$434.98

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$25.45

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$51.31

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 Ms. Elam and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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