[Unofficial] Let's help kids have a good year in school by funding their teachers' projects!
9For a number of years we, as a group, would choose a teacher project to fund and then everyone who wanted to donate to that project to fund it. Once it was funded we’d start on the next one. This annual post sort of fell by the wayside during the pandemic. I’d like to start it back up as teachers often spend so much of their own money on their students (my mom was a kindergarten teacher and I saw that first hand).
With this site it is an all or nothing proposition. The teacher projects are vetted, listed, money is managed by the donors choose charity. If the project doesn’t receive the full amount, the project doesn’t get funded and the donations are returned (there is also a deadline to fund by). The charity has what the teacher wanted sent to them so the money is never sent to the teacher, just what they were fund raising for.
HERE IS THE SITE:
https://www.donorschoose.org
So choose a project you’d like to see funded, post it below in it’s own post and lets get started helping our teachers and by extension their students have a great year!
Notice to teachers on meh posting their own requests:
Last year, for the first time, some teachers saw folks on meh (due to comments left) funded them, came here, and started posting multiple projects of their own here. Please only list one project of your own and identify that this is a project of yours. It would be nice to spread the help around to as many teachers as possible thus reaching as many students as possible as well.
To see past threads go here:
2019 thread
https://meh.com/forum/topics/our-annual-help-a-teacher-help-their-students
2018 thread
https://meh.com/forum/topics/help-a-school?
2017 thread
https://meh.com/forum/topics/its-that-time-of-year-again--lets-make-some-teachers-and-their-students-day
2016 thread
https://meh.com/forum/topics/please-give-money-to-buy-books-for-poor-kids--or-dont--up-to-you?
Usually we have 3-5 projects going at once. As one gets funded someone adds another one. EACH project has a separate post and anything to do with that post is in a reply under it. Typically people post under a fund how much is left to fund or if it is fully funded, some post if they have contributed although others don’t so do what you want. The goal here is to fully fund projects so the teach gets what they asked for. That is why we choose to fund specific projects rather than randomly to the site.
I will post one project to get us started and if a couple of other people could pick others ones to post that would be great.
- 16 comments, 49 replies
- Comment
So to start us off here is a local to me teacher project that already has had 7 donors and only needs $262 more to fully fund the science labs. This is a title one school (eg almost all are free lunch students) in a town with chronic water problems (like we had none for several months and boil water orders for 4+ months last year) the highest per capita murder rate in the nation, tons of roads with pot holes that will eat your car, garbage pick up issues… While I don’t know the teacher or school, I do know this town has a high poverty rate, schools are very underfunded and teachers are paid poorly.
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/jumpstart-science/7404750/
@Kidsandliz I’m so glad this back. Let’s do it!
@fibrs86 Feel free to identify a teacher request that you think should be funded and post it (not as a reply to this post, rather a reply to the main thread) so each fund has it’s own “thread” here in this topic.
Down to $212 needed!!! That’s wonderful! And as people donate they are welcome to tell the teacher that meh is supporting them in the comments on the teacher’s request page with the charity. Other years people have done that.
@Kidsandliz Thanks for posting this. I was not aware of this org.
Cool! Down to $142 needed. Thanks folks!
Thanks folks. This one has $92 to go.
FUNDED!!! That’s fantastic.
@Kidsandliz What about teachers in districts that don’t allow Donors Choose? Namely, me. Is there a way for us to provide verification with our picture and a link to our profile at our schools or something like that to be able to post our Amazon wishlists?
@raptorgorawr Cripes there are school districts that do that??? That makes no sense. I don’t have a problem with that (I am not “in charge” of this, rather just trying to restart a tradition we had that someone else started - this is not a formal meh thing, rather it has been a community thing).
@Kidsandliz @raptorgorawr Yes, they do. That’s why many teachers go to Amazon to “Clear the List.” I’m a special education teacher and have been a loyal meh’ber since 2014. If anyone wants to help clear my Amazon wish list for my special needs kiddos, I’m attaching the link.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
@Kidsandliz yup. There is supposedly a policy in place that would allow it but it takes like 3 months of approvals and then if you change schools even within the same district, whatever items you got that you raise money for, stay at that school. I’ll post my list and its own comment below in case you were somebody else wants to help clear my list.
/image unofficial
@medz Yes thank you for the reminder.
From one of our VMP members (see their post above, was making sure her request wasn’t buried in the back and forth in there) whose school district won’t let them use the donor choose site. Let’s help @rhcurry02 who says:
I’m a special education teacher and have been a loyal meh’ber since 2014. If anyone wants to help clear my Amazon wish list for my special needs kiddos, I’m attaching the link.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
There are 15 things on her list. Often donor choose people have a list of things they need too, at least in this case she can get things even if her entire list doesn’t get donors.
Well cool! She is down to 13 things. Thanks folks!
And now down to 12!!
@Kidsandliz thanks so much, but that was actually another teacher that commented! For anybody that doesn’t know me, I’m the crazy person who got the first Meh tattoo and the only one that got one this year for @Chadp 's TV show challenge. Here’s the link to my list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
Some of the stuff is for my classroom, and then some of the stuff is for a care closet that I operate. We’re a Title 1 school and there’s a lot of needs that are unmet so keeping things on hand like personal hygiene items, extra backpacks and school supplies, and clean socks really goes a long way with these kids that honestly sometimes don’t even know where they’re next meal is coming from. Because I teach middle school, the same supports that are in place for elementary schools like Buddy Backpack don’t exist at our school but they’re not old enough to go get a job like the high schoolers.
@raptorgorawr move that to a comment so it doesn’t get lost.
There are 12 left here. Thanks to whomever has bought so far.
I like the idea but I’m still horrified that it’s a necessary thing. It really shouldn’t be.
@unksol Unfortunately it has been that way for decades. My mom was having to do that in the 70’s and 80’s. On tax forms, without using schedule A, teachers can deduct up to, I think it is, $200 of what they spend. You know it is an ongoing nationwide problem when the dedication for school crap for kids in on the tax form.
@Kidsandliz I know. Some of my sisters are teachers. It’s… Just weird/funded at the wrong levels
@unksol And they usually spend far more than $200.
@unksol we don’t even get Kleenex. The only thing we get are those horrible scratchy brown paper towels provided by the school.
Towards the end of the year every year, we run out of paper and run out of the paper budget but also have all the Chromebooks taken up because of testing. So literally you have no way to teach kids for like 3 weeks.
@Kidsandliz last year I spent over $1,200 between stuff for my classroom, reams of paper for when the school ran out, food and stuff for my care closet, software that I needed to teach that the school wouldn’t cover, I mean it’s insane and at least in North Carolina, the starting teacher pays like 37,000… So even once you’ve been teaching 10 years, you’re not making even $50,000. And of course you’re required to have a degree, but they also won’t give you any kind of extra pay for your Masters so nobody goes and gets it because why would you take on all those extra student loans when you can not afford to make the payments plus you’re not going to get any kind of pay bump.
@raptorgorawr @unksol As a sub I saw this firsthand last year. Kids would basically come to school for the last few weeks and if not testing would play games or go to the gym and shoot baskets. Also, picking up chromebooks so early really put kids who may have had work they could make up at a disadvantage. I honestly don’t know how teachers do this job full time. I would lose my mind!
@unksol The people who want to rule instead of governing are determined to cripple the public schools so that the whole thing can be profitized. (Yes, they say “privatized”, but we know what they really want.) After that, anyone that isn’t profitable to educate will just get tossed under the school bus.
@steeltoesenator @unksol well, you know we survive based off of the fact that we truly love our job and of course that always super helpful jeans pass on Friday
and the helpful reminders to take time for self-care 
.
I teach because I really do want to make a difference in kids lives, middle school was horrible for me and really the only way I made it through a live was some really good teachers I had in middle school. It’s definitely probably the hardest age to teach, but it’s the group that needs the most love. It also allows me to get my kids to therapy three times a week where I wasn’t able to do that when I was working 60 hours with my last job. Although my last job also paid over twice as much.
Also since donorchoose is a non-profit those of you who can deduct donations from your taxes will be able to count your donation.
For anybody that doesn’t know me, I’m the crazy person who got the first Meh tattoo and the only one that got one this year for @Chadp 's TV show challenge. I am also a Middle school computer science teacher. I teach 180 kids each semester so I end up teaching almost half the entire school each year. Here’s the link to my list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
Some of the stuff is for my classroom, and then some of the stuff is for a care closet that I operate. We’re a Title 1 school and there’s a lot of needs that are unmet so keeping things on hand like personal hygiene items, extra backpacks and school supplies, and clean socks really goes a long way with these kids that honestly sometimes don’t even know where they’re next meal is coming from. Because I teach middle school, the same supports that are in place for elementary schools like Buddy Backpack don’t exist at our school but they’re not old enough to go get a job like the high schoolers
This one has 24 to go. Some are very inexpensive. The donorchoose site many people have a pretty long list that gets combined into one request. There they only get their stuff if the fund is fully funded. On Amazon at least partial funding works.
Here is what we have so far that needs donations:
You can deduct on your taxes your donation made at donorschoose. I have no idea how Amazon works since schools are generally non-profit.
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/jumpstart-science/7404750/
And meh member teachers have Amazon lists as, at least in one case their school won’t let them use the donor choose site
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
If anyone wants to add a teacher’s request go to:
https://www.donorschoose.org
Pick a fund
Post it here in it’s own thread.
If it is close to its funding deadline post that so people can make it a priority. Or you could find ones that just need one more reasonable donation to fully fund it and post that. Or whatever you want to do.
The donorfund requests have a comment area if you want to post anything on their site.
Probably we shouldn’t have more than 4 active funds at once so the ones we choose to support get fully funded. What works best for donor choose is as we fully fund one we add one. If add too many more if they are not fully funded the teacher gets nothing (and the donor gets their money back). In the past we usually had 4 or 5 unfunded funds posted at the same time.
YEA!!! This one is fully funded
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/jumpstart-science/7404750/
Anyone have one they want to post to add to the list to fund next?
Missed the edit window: Thank you meh community!!
This one has 14 left (she teaches special ed)
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
This one has 23 left
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
OOPS this is the url for the one with 23 left
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
The total for the ones our meh community members have is actually not much different than the ones on donor choose and cheaper than some of them.
This one has only 5 hours left (from 5:43pm central savings time) before it tanks. Books for kids. Nearly funded. Needs the remaining $68. (if it doesn’t meet the goal you get your money back
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/huskies-love-manga/7286643/
IT’S FUNDED!!! Thank you folks for making a teacher very happy!
This is another one for books in a low income school.
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/reading-for-all/7293061/
The expires on Aug 16th. It currently has a donor who is doubling donations so they need $176 more.
Anyone can feel free to pick one that appeals to you and post it.
YES YES YES!!! They have their books! Thanks folks.
Middle school teacher looking for books for an in classroom library, low income school, she teaches struggling readers. This fund is a matching fund one and as a result only needs $154.
https://www.donorschoose.org/project/middle-school-class-library/7296585/
Two donors (thank you!!) so far and with the match only $129 left needed. Remember if you donate you can deduct it from taxes and if the fund doesn’t make it by the deadline you get your money back.
Only needs $89 (after the match) and has two days left! Thank you the three of you that donated!
@Kidsandliz Fully funded!
@Kyeh THAT IS WONDERFUL! Thanks everyone who has donated to these.
@Kidsandliz I can’t take any credit for that one, but glad to see it succeed. Always in favor of more books!
These two are from our very own meh members who aren’t allowed by their school system to create a donorchoose fund so their only choice is the amazon list. At least there they can get what you donate for rather than have an all or nothing situation.
@rhcurry02’s (she is a special ed teacher) is:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
@raptorgorawr’s (she’s a middle school computer science teacher) is:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
@Kidsandliz @rhcurry02 is the special ed teacher; @raptorgorawr teaches middle school computer science. How do we make sure the items are sent to them?
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @raptorgorawr Amazon ships mine directly to my school
@Kyeh @raptorgorawr @rhcurry02 Thank you for correcting me (and to the teachers I apologize). I was doing this too late at night.
@Kyeh @raptorgorawr @rhcurry02
missed the edit window. @extramedium if you could please correct that above I’d sure appreciate it. My best skill these last couple of days appears to be making mistakes over and over. I seem to be practicing it a lot.
@Kidsandliz @raptorgorawr @rhcurry02
Oh, I see now - I had to add it to my cart for the address to show up; thanks.
@Kyeh @raptorgorawr @rhcurry02 Glad you got it figured out and thanks for donating!
looks like the first one is down to 11 and the second one down to 22. Thank you to the folks who helped them out with a couple of the things on their list1
Hey folks - we are doing the school teacher donation thing again started by @baqui63 in 2016. I am flagging you (apologies if I missed anyone) as you have been active on one or more of the threads in the past.
PLEASE PICK SOME PROJECTS from
https://www.donorschoose.org and post them.
@Cerridwyn @mehbee @mikibell @Kawa @PurplePawprints @looseneck @f00l @ConAndLibrarian @dashcloud @AnnaB @mzsooze @gruverja @Confusedkitty @dmbock01@magic_cave @CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon @mfladd @f00l @Shrdlu @djslack @fibrs86 @ekw @Pavlov @Cerridwyn (who started the 2018 thread) @sligett @OldCatLady @sammydog01 @medz @Yoda_Daenerys @studerc @brdubb @rtjhnstn @TheFLP @duodec @eg036 @jkoury @lichme @mike808 @Collin1000 @narfcake @mick @TheFLP
/giphy unofficial
@medz Yes we know that. You have posted that earlier in the thread and it hasn’t been claimed as a corporate thing, rather it is a community thing. @extramedium can you please change the title and add “unofficial” in there (I originally asked @narfcake but then read the goat thread and saw his desktop had a literal meltdown so likely he is going to be otherwise occupied, fortunately the edit window hadn’t closed here)?
/image shocked
@Kidsandliz [Unofficial] tag added.
@extramedium Thank you for doing that.
Our meh member ones still need some help. Their schools won’t let them do donorchoice. As a result, they had to list each thing separately on Amazon rather than bundled together like what happens on donorchoice.
@rhcurry02’s (she is a special ed teacher) is:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/105WJWXNSB0JS?ref_=wl_share
@raptorgorawr’s (she’s a middle school computer science teacher) is:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9IDNMV833GC8?ref_=wl_share
Also if anyone wants to post one you want to get funded post away. In past years most of the ones we funded were chosen by people participating on this thread.
Hey all my bad. As @kyeh has pointed out more than once rhcurry is the special ed teacher, and raptorgorawr is a middle school computer science teacher. @ExtraMedium @narfcake if one of you could please change that above I’d sure appreciate it (higher up it is wrong too). Thanks!
@ExtraMedium @Kidsandliz @Kyeh @narfcake raptorgorawr’s note now added