Friday Fund Days: Drop Some Dollars & Help Some Classrooms
With the world being a difficult place for those of any marginalized background, one of the things those of us who are looking to do something can do is donate to those in need. Thousands of teachers each year ask for a little help with seeking supplies for their classrooms via Donors Choose; organizations that do work with at-risk communities like prison populations seek spare change to advocate for and bring literacy to those groups, and nonprofits that provide necessary resources to empower women and people of color are always hoping for a few bucks to make their vital work possible.
Enter: Friday Fund Days.
Book Riot readers have helped fund hundreds of classrooms over the last few years, and we’ll help bring funds to hundreds more. Each Friday, we’ll highlight two classrooms or other literacy-focused, important projects in hopes you’ll help them reach their goals to bring literature, advocacy, and education to others.
Even if you can’t spare money, any social sharing you can offer to the projects each week absolutely helps: you never know who’ll find it and have the means by which to make the project’s fundraising goals reached. More, you’ll bring awareness to the unmet needs in communities around the world, as well as right in your own back yard.
When all else feels hard or hopeless, remember that you can and do make a difference.
This Week’s Projects
Listen Up! New Books for Our Listening Center, Philadelphia, PA ($542)
Help me give my students new books for their listening center to keep them excited about reading.
My Students
My second grade class is made of 22 amazing children. They range in diversity and ability, some of whom are autistic and many who receive special education services. We are a Title I school, and all of my students are from low-income households, so they all receive free breakfast and lunch every day.
Though their backgrounds have offered them little advantage, my students love learning, and they work very hard each day.
One of the things they love is our listening center where they come together with a few friends, open a book, and listen to the story read to them on a CD player. I did not anticipate how much they would love this station that improves their listening, literacy, and fluency skills, so we need more story selections.
My Project
My students absolutely love reading, in all forms. Whether reading independently, with a friend, to a stuffed animal, to me, in a group, or along with a book on CD — they’re in! We started the year with a small assortment of listening center packs, but at this point in the year, they’ve read them all.
To keep them interested, I’m requesting more class packs of books with accompanying CDs.
The books I’ve chosen are a bit too difficult to read alone, so having them on CD is perfect. Plus, these books are high-interest, meaning my students will look forward to reading them when it’s their turn at the center.
Reading with Passion, Fontana, CA ($195)
Help me give my students books to add to our classroom library for AR quizzes.
My Students
My class is full of energy, creativity, and curiosity! They come to school every day eager to learn and excited to engage with others and explore the world around them. My favorite thing about my first graders is that they are hard workers and they are never afraid to try and perform their very best. I thrive to make their experiences in my class memorable.
People sometimes say, “Those kids are lucky to have you…” but what they don’t know, is that I am the lucky one.
My Project
As first graders, this is the year where we want our students to become fluent in reading. These books will be added to our classroom library and will encourage students to read more and provide them with options to read. As a new teacher in 1st grade, building a classroom library can be expensive. With these books in the classroom, students will be able to take more AR quizzes and will become more confident and successful readers as they go into 2nd grade next year. My students are eager to dive into some new books. We hope you can help them reach their reading goals!
Whether you can donate a dollar, donate fifty dollars, or donate a share on social media, you make a difference!
