This week, we’re helping a kindergarten in a Texas border town get some computer-based learning games, and a 6th grade on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana get supplies for science projects. We hope that readers who support quality public school education will help by sharing or supporting our featured projects.
The Inoculation Project is an ongoing, volunteer effort to crowdfund science, math, and literacy projects for public schools in low-income neighborhoods. As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that facilitates tax-deductible donations to specific, vetted projects in public schools.
I’m always happy when I can bring a longer-term project up here, indicating that it’s nearing completion!
Ms. Tangle teaches kindergarten in a border city in the McAllen, TX area, not far from the Gulf Coast. She’s hoping to get these clever interactive educational games that work with an iPad or phone, to enrich her students’ learning.
We still have 2x matching help from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation: The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation is excited to sponsor this Innovation Challenge to discover projects that promote experiential learning in classrooms nationwide. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting teachers' creative ideas that provide students with unique opportunities to engage in activities that deepen their understanding through direct experience, exploration, problem-solving, or connections to experiences outside of the classroom.
PROJECT #1
Resources: Help me give my students the opportunity to engage with hands-on learning through Osmo kits, which will spark their creativity, enhance their problem-solving skills, and make learning fun and interactive.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Dr William Long Elementary School, Pharr, Texas
Total: $947.40 (2x matching funds from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation)
Still Needed: $342.99 Completed, thank you! Please consider project #2 below!
Project description by Ms. Tagle: I absolutely love how curious and eager my students are to explore the world around them. They have a natural desire to learn and a passion for discovering new things, which makes teaching them so rewarding. Each of my students is unique, with different strengths, and it’s incredible to see them support one another in their learning journey. The Osmo kits will give them the chance to dive into interactive, hands-on activities that not only make learning fun but also help them build critical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. With these resources, I can meet each student where they are, whether they need more visual engagement, physical interaction, or a way to bring abstract concepts to life. The Osmo kits will provide the tools they need to express their creativity, enhance their understanding of key subjects, and ultimately feel empowered as learners.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
A reviewer looks briefly at each of the games included in the requested Osmo kit.
Here’s our new longer-term project!
Ms. Guardipee is a never-before-funded teacher in a small Montana community that is the seat of tribal government of the Blackfeet Nation. She needs some equipment for hands-on science experiments for her 6th grade class, as well as some other items to improve her classroom.
The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation grant is also matching this project.
PROJECT #2
Resources: Help me give my students decor and supplies to explore science and create a comfortable and fun learning environment.
Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households.
Location: Browning Middle School, Browning, Montana
Total: $952.00 (2x matching funds from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation)
Still Needed: $952.00 $563.18 (match is exhausted)
Project description by Ms. Guardipee: We have several items needed to complete various science experiments around cells and stem activities. There are also items to help make our classroom a little more comfortable for the students' learning environment. We will use the lamps and bean bags to make a calm corner for students who may need it. If students are provided more hands-on materials, it would benefit them extremely.
Help us learn more about cells and organisms.
We also want to do a bacteria experiment in various areas of our school. Students are excited to get hands-on in science. Thank you from our 6th-grade science classes.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
A look at the manufacture of pre-poured agar plates like those requested for this project.
Our project #1 from last week was completed, and IT WAS OUR 1200th COMPLETED PROJECT!!!
ENDLESS THANKS to our readers, now and for all the time since 2009 that you all have been stopping by to give our country’s public school teachers your vote of confidence, by helping them do the job they want so much to be able to do.
Project #1, Books For Eager Learners: Ms. Gonzalez teaches first grade in a tiny Texas community, and she needed books to encourage her students to keep reading.
She writes: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting our classroom library project. Your generosity didn’t just fund books — it brought hope, excitement, and possibility into our room. When I told my students the news, their faces lit up in a way I wish you could’ve seen. They immediately started talking about the kinds of stories they hope to read and which books they want to share with their friends.
In a small community like ours, gifts like yours ripple out far beyond the walls of a classroom. You’ve helped create a place where every child feels seen, valued, and capable. These books will give my students new worlds to explore, comfort on hard days, and confidence as they grow as readers.
Thank you for believing in my students and in the work we do every day. Your kindness made a real difference, and we are truly grateful. ​
DonorsChoose has developed the designation Equity Focus Schools to describe some schools that submit projects. They meet ANY of these criteria:
❧ At least 50% of students are Black, Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multiracial
❧ At least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch
❧ Rural schools where more than one third (34+%) of the students are eligible for free and reduced priced lunch
You can read more at the link about their efforts to address the longstanding inequity in education. |
Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project seeks to fund science, math, and literacy projects in public school classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding charity founded in 2000 and highly rated by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau.
Every Sunday, we focus on helping to fund projects in neighborhood public schools where the overwhelming majority of students come from low-income households. We welcome everyone who supports public school education — no money is required!
Finally, here’s our list of successfully funded projects — our series total is 1200! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose.
