August 2022 Aragon Cares: DonorsChoose
IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON! It’s the time of the year when teachers and students return to school for another year of learning.
Whether the school year has started (or is yet to start), teachers are gearing up their classrooms with school supplies, which are an essential part of starting the year off right. Unfortunately, many teachers are paying for their classroom supplies with their own money.
In 2018, New York Times reported that 94% of public school teachers in the United States were paying for school supplies out of pocket without getting reimbursed for their classroom purchases. Teachers paying for school supplies out of pocket were averaging $479 each. In addition, the yearly survey by savings.com found that teachers are spending $560 out of pocket for the 2022-2023 school year, which was an increase from last year’s spending amount of $511.
To assist teachers with their school supplies and ensure students have the tools they need to succeed, we donated to DonorsChoose for this month’s Aragon Cares.
DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization providing a platform for individuals and communities to help teachers in need. Teachers can raise money for their classroom projects and supplies and anyone can donate towards their requested items. DonorsChoose is working to ensure teachers and students have the supplies they need to succeed in school.
The organization was founded in 2000 by a history teacher, Charles Best, at a Bronx public high school. Best noticed all of the money he and his colleagues were spending on school supplies, so he created a platform where communities can raise money for classrooms and donors can view how the classrooms are using the donation.
His colleagues were the first 11 requests and now it’s open to every public school in America.
Since the start of DonorsChoose, 86% of public schools in America have used the site and more than 5 million citizens have donated to the classrooms listed over the years. All the support has brought over $1 billion in total for donations to support teachers.
How We Helped
As teachers set up their classrooms for the school year, the Aragon Research team wanted to make a donation to a classroom in our area. We went on the DonorsChoose website and found Ms. Murrish’s request.
Ms. Murrish is a middle school teacher in Morgan Hill. She is raising money for a school-wide supplies drive for students struggling to bring supplies. Her campaign will bring essential supplies, like pencils and notebooks, to students in need.
Ms. Murrish’s campaign:
“We believe that students should be set up for success. Some of the basic needs for students are paper and pencils. Across campus, we have students who struggle to bring these supplies to campus, due to socioeconomic needs, and other life circumstances.
Students can succeed when given the tools and support.
Unfortunately, this financial burden often falls on the teachers, when budgets and systems can not meet these needs. We are asking for your help. We are a Title 1 school and our students deserve to have an equal start in school. Join our team; be a part of our success!”
How You Can Help
Whether you are in the area or not, you can contribute to Ms. Murrish’s campaign by donating on her request page.
You can also explore the DonorsChoose website and find projects that you want to help or use their location search to find schools near you.
The Aragon team wishes teachers and students a happy and productive school year!
Aragon Cares are monthly activities focused on giving back to the community.
You can check out all our past Aragon Cares activities here!
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| July 2022 Aragon Cares: Love For Our Elders |
June 2022 Aragon Cares: No Kid Hungry |
April Aragon Cares: Aragon’s 1st Annual Golf Classic |
