DonorsChoose.org

Many of you know that my husband Peter was an inner city elementary school teacher for 36 years. Growing up in a fairly affluent suburban community, it always shocked me when he would load up our basket at Staples with basic supplies for his classroom, like pencils, paper, tissues, crayons and the like. He did it because neither the school system nor many of the parents could afford to provide even the most basic of basic teaching and learning necessities.

Unfortunately, since he retired eight years ago, the financial situation has not gotten better for many school systems. Now days, need is not limited to the inner cities and poorer rural districts, money is tight everywhere. So what are teachers doing, besides spending out of their own pockets? Thanks to a website, www.DonorsChoose.org , teachers, librarians, guidance counselors and coaches can now post proposals for things they need for their kids. Proposals range from basic, like paper, crayons and books to larger items like digital cameras, movie projectors and laptops. Donors choose which projects to whole or partially fund according to their own interests and ability to contribute. You can search for projects by state, subject, type of resource needed, type of school, or age group.

I searched for a project here in CT that needed money to buy books and found The Newbery Book Club that wants copies of several Newbery winners, including our own Cynthia Lord’s RULES, for classroom use. I can’t afford to fund the entire amount they still need, but I can throw in a contribution and hopefully get the word out to others who are willing to help. Who knows, someday it might be YOUR book a teacher is so passionate to share with her students that she is willing to ask for donations to make it happen.