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. Tan from Los Angeles, CA is requesting technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Tan is requesting

The Power of Words: Creating Change With Our Voices

My project needs 1 digital voice recorder, a microphone, and 1 memory stick.

  • $714 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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

Help Mr. Tan

Black and Brown students in urban areas are failing and dropping out of school at alarming rates. We are in a state of emergency as 80% of those individuals that are incarcerated did not pass high school. Education and the gift of literacy is a necessary component in changing things. I am a 5th grade teacher in an inner-city school located in Watts (South Central Los Angeles). I have decided to teach Elementary School primarily because of the aforementioned issue and my belief that we need to get to the students as early as possible. Even though I teach at a school that is considered "underperforming" by our standardized test scores, our school and community some of the finest and brightest people around. Historically, the schools in this community has been marginalized and in high-need, education being the only means for any type of mobility.

Despite the conditions of the schools and community, many politicians believe that the answer to the epidemic is through mandated curriculum. Yet in this day and age or video games and multimedia, many students disengage in learning and literacy. Students check out of school because of the curriculum. Therefore it is up to the creativity of the teacher to bring lessons to life. Schools do not have the budget to help teachers create these engaging lessons and projects, much less supply the school with adequate supplies like paper. Students are being forced to perform and learn through disengaging mandated curriculum. While there are very innovative and creative ways for those kids to learn, we teachers don't have the necessary support to implement them.

With the use of one digital voice recorder, a memory stick, and a microphone, the students of my class will be able to bring learning to life. Students will engage in the literacy lessons because they will utilize them in a meaningful manner. The students will be able to conduct their community action project where they will interview family and community members in order to put together a presentation during their thematic unit of heritage. In conducting their research and interviews, the students will transcribe and write about their experiences and propose an action plan. The equipment can also be used as a tool for literacy. I can voice record their fluency and have a file for each student so they can hear their fluency and use it to work towards improvement. We as a class can also record our read alouds and create listening libraries for the class and future students that would be much more engaging than the tape/CDs that are available. Finally, we can record the many learning and education songs we make up and perform (digestion rap, math song, etc...) and digitize them onto a CD for the students to continue learning. The possibilities are endless, but the learning lasts a lifetime.

With your help, you can make a difference to a class full of future leaders. With your donation, you will continue to help others in future classes. With 5th grade being a culminating year just before they enter middle school, this project can impact the students for a lifetime. This final year of elementary school can be the one guiding year that sets the students off onto the right track. Your help in making this project a reality will make it possible for my classes to create changes in their lives and community.

Mr. Tan 122nd Street Elementary School Grades 3-5

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 Mr. Tan

Los Angeles, CA View local requests

Nearly all 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

32 students impacted 6donors

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. Tan is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Sony ICD MX20 - digital voice recorder • CDW Inc. $219.44 1 $219.44
Sony ECM MS907 - microphone • CDW Inc. $84.78 1 $84.78
Sony flash memory card - 8 GB - MS PRO DUO • CDW Inc. $169.99 1 $169.99

Materials cost

$474.21

Vendor shipping charges

 $47.42

Sales tax

 $34.38

3rd party payment processing fee

$11.86

Fulfillment labor & materials

$17.00

Total project cost

$585.00

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$128.41

Total project goal

$713.41

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $713.41

4 Donors

-$688.24

Donations toward project cost

-$585.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$103.24

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$25.17

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. Tan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"CA","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/the-power-of-words-creating-change-with/93323/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":32,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Tan","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"949619008","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"Los Angeles","teachersOnPage":[47071],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":93323,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"47071":{"owner":"Mr. Tan","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[93323],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/136/teacher-placeholder-1_136.png","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":43233,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":47071,"schoolCounty":"Los Angeles","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"CA","name":"California"}}