Did you know that the average teacher spends over $1000 of her own money each year on supplies for the classroom?(1)
LAS VEGAS, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 100 Nevada teachers are asking for help from individuals at DonorsChoose.Org on Teacher Appreciation Day.
From books and art supplies to calculators and computers, teachers across Nevada have posted wish lists on DonorsChoose.Org, a nonprofit website that connects classrooms in need to individuals who wish to support education. The Teacher Appreciation Day page can be viewed at http://www.donorschoose.org/tad.
Teachers often spend their own money on school supplies. According to Benjamin Salkowe, a 5th grade teacher at Laura Dearing Elementary School, "This is only my first year teaching and I have already spent hundreds of dollars of my own money on books for my classroom, snacks for kids staying after school, and basic supplies like pencils and notebooks." DonorsChoose.Org has been working with teachers in Nevada since September 2007. In the last seven months, over 170 teachers in 89 public schools have submitted 254 project proposals for their students. Most of these students come from low-income communities. So far, over $45,000 of classroom materials have been delivered to schools in Nevada, but over 120 projects remain unfunded on the DonorsChoose.Org site.
"Nevada teachers have been helped by individuals in 34 states," says Hylan Hubbard, DonorsChoose.Org Executive Director Southwest Region. "On Teacher Appreciation Day, we're asking residents of Nevada to step up and show teachers they are appreciated and a valuable part of their community." According to Salkowe, the generosity of individuals is overwhelming, "My favorite part of the process was that first time I got a project funded. I came to my class with the books and told them, 'Some people on the Internet heard about how hard you've been working, and these people you don't even know were so impressed by what you do that they sent some more stuff they thought would help.' That was the best thing." Visit http://www.donorschoose.org/tad to join local businesses and individuals supporting Nevada school teachers.
About DonorsChoose.org DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can pick the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor gets photographs and thank-you letters from the classroom he/she chose to help.
Founded in 2000 by a young teacher at a Bronx high school, DonorsChoose.org has been recognized as "America's most innovative charity." To date, over 40,000 public school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $22 million of books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through the site, donors from all walks of life have helped over one million students.
(1) Quality Education Data, The Heller Report. "Teacher Buying Behavior 2006-07" March 2007. Teacher Buying Behavior Report," http://www.qeddata.com/MarketKno/ResearchReports/TeacherBuying.aspx DATASOURCE: DonorsChoose.org CONTACT: Julie Lacouture of DonorsChoose.org, +1-323-533-6486 Web Site: http://www.donorschoose.org/ http://www.qeddata.com/MarketKno/ResearchReports/TeacherBuying.aspx
|