Helping Students is a Mouse-click Away at DonorsChoose.org

Reed encourages Hoosiers to get involved with their local schools by donating classroom materials

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - As students head back to class this month, Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed encourages Hoosiers to get involved with their local schools. One way to make a big difference is to donate items for classroom use.

“School budgets are tight and teachers often spend their own money to make innovative classroom projects and student lessons happen,” Dr. Reed said. “Even the smallest contribution can make a world of difference, and the ultimate benefit goes directly to our students.”

In addition to making donations directly to local schools and school corporations’ education foundations, Reed noted that helping teachers and students is only a computer mouse-click away at www.donorschoose.org. The DonorsChoose Web site allows individuals to fulfill teachers’ requests for classroom materials and other resources for compelling student projects, activities and lessons. Individuals can search proposals online by name, area of interest and more, and then choose to fund all or part of a compelling project.

DonorsChoose leverages the support of corporate partners like Chase, Duke Realty Corporation, Lilly Endowment Inc., and Lumina Foundation for Education to attract public school projects and donor participation. Ideas submitted by teachers have ranged from “Launch a Love for Reading” ($250) to “Don’t Let Genetics Concepts (Fruit) Fly By” ($428) to “Balance my Checkbook” ($620).

Since launching the program in Indiana last fall, more than 1,200 individuals in 41 states provided $450,000 for 824 projects involving more than 31,000 Hoosier students – the strongest performance of any statewide DonorsChoose program. According to the Web site, 79 percent of the projects funded were from schools with “high poverty” – 65 percent or more of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches – or with “high need” – 40 percent to 64 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches. Additionally, 84 percent of the resources provided last year can be re-used during the upcoming school year.

“Despite the progress taking place in our schools every day, we know that not all of our students are where they need to be,” said Reed. “This online resource is a simple and direct way concerned citizens can contribute.”

For more information about DonorsChoose, visit www.DonorsChoose.org.

Source: Indiana Department of Education

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