Project Inspiration

We’ve come a long way since the paper-mache volcano was the undisputed king to teach hands-on science experiments. Now, in classrooms across the country, creative teachers are exploring new technology and finding innovative uses for classic materials to bring STEM to life. Here are 10 teachers who have used DonorsChoose.org to bring materials into their classrooms to teach hands-on science. Through these projects, their students have experienced everything from real-world DNA research to birdwatching to composting. If you want to help spark a lifetime love of science in your students, exploring these projects is a perfect place to start. All

For teachers, technology is no longer just a “nice-to-have” for the classroom: It’s becoming more and more essential every year. Last summer, we released our first Technology in the Classroom Report, which showed that a majority of teachers ranked technology as the most critical investment for their school. That places tech above school supplies and books. Ms. Latulippe teaches 11th and 12th grade English at Stamford Academy in Connecticut, and her dream DonorsChoose.org project is for more classroom technology. Here’s why she hopes to add laptops or tablets to her classroom toolkit: Support a Classroom Technology Project Comments

How a band leader, an English teacher, and other educators across the country are teaching financial literacy to prepare their students for life beyond the classroom. At our annual summer staff meeting, we asked a group of visiting graduating seniors to share the one subject they wished they’d been taught in high school. Their response? Financial literacy. Students wanted to learn how to open a bank account, pay taxes, and create a budget—skills that will help them survive and thrive in life after high school. We know these skills are important, but where do they fit into busy classroom schedules?

Through community service learning projects, students are able to develop an awareness and understanding of the big social issues that impact their community. Across the country, teachers are exploring new ways to take their traditional lessons and apply them to the real world. With these service learning project ideas, students can strengthen their ties to their community and understand the power they have to change other people’s lives. Here’s how a few teachers and students are using resources from generous donors to give back to their local communities. Middle Schoolers Launch Healthy Hearts Campaign Mrs. Cheung’s school has partnered with

Ali here, your friendly neighborhood Partnerships Director. Our team has been collaborating with the PwC Charitable Foundation for more than eight years. For the last two of those years, our work has focused on enabling DonorsChoose.org teachers to use a set of free, online financial literacy modules. The modules were developed by the PwC Charitable Foundation to help students learn more about personal finance and economics concepts. The modules are receiving rave reviews from our teachers, and now we want everyone to have the chance to try them out. The PwC Charitable Foundation’s Earn Your Future™ Digital Lab allows students

The latest Marvel movie is always a hot conversation topic, and the excitement for the Black Panther movie has reached epic levels. Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, social media is all abuzz, and we know many of your students are seeing and talking about the movie. Here’s your teacher’s guide to Black Panther, along with few ideas on how to work this pop culture phenomenon into your lessons. Who is Black Panther? Black Panther is a Marvel comics superhero, first appearing in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four. His real name is T’Challa, and he’s the king of the

Hi there! Margie (Director, Talent, Diversity, and Inclusion), Shantaa (Partnerships Manager) and Steen (Senior Partnerships Manager) here to wish you a very happy Black History Month! Over the years, teachers from across the country have created over 1,800 projects requesting materials and experiences aimed at educating their students about black history and the African diaspora. Black history is so rich that it’s hard for us to imagine it being contained to a month. In celebration of that richness, we each wanted to highlight one of our favorite ways teachers on our site are taking Black History beyond the month of February.

Since 1970, Earth Day has grown into a worldwide celebration of the pale blue dot we call home. In the classroom, this is a perfect opportunity to add some environmental science lessons into your spring calendar. Teachers have used DonorsChoose.org to fund supplies for school gardens, recycling programs, copies of The Lorax, butterfly habitats, and countless more materials to show students the importance of taking care of our only planet. Here are a few ideas to inspire your next project about the environment, whether it’s for Earth Day or all year round. Start a Recycling Program For many schools across

We know that teachers are overflowing with ideas to make their classrooms more engaging and exciting for students. This spring, we had the chance to work with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the Student-Centered Learning Environment Innovation Challenge. Educators shared their most inventive ideas for creating active learning environments to help students stay motivated, believe in themselves, and reach learning goals. Fifty-one expert teacher judges rated more than 1,500 submitted projects, and helped surface the most innovative and effective concepts from three incredible educators. The winning teachers put together some videos to give you a look inside their new

This spring, Orkin teamed up with DonorsChoose.org to unearth the best buggy projects through the Orkin Start with Science Innovation Challenge. Orkin called on teachers across the country to submit their best ideas for using our many-legged friends as an avenue to learning, and a panel of insect experts chose the ten most creative projects. Meet the winning teachers! Have a favorite project? Vote for it on Facebook, and you can help pick which teacher will win an additional $5,000 grand prize for their students! Having a Buggy, Good Time with STEM Mrs. Hooten | Grades 3–5 | Bedford, IN “The