On March 10th Deerfield 5th Grade teacher, Lenore Kline, received a surprising email from Donors Choose, a crowd funding organization specifically geared to fund classroom projects.
Hi Lenore, As you now know, Craig Newmark completed your project in honor of #BestSchoolDay. We’re so proud to see the widespread support for teachers today. You deserve it. Happy #BestSchoolDay! The DonorsChoose.org Team.
Newmark donated $375 to fully fund Kline’s project, “Remarkable Readers Need Remarkable Books.” Mrs. Kline is one of nine teachers in Mountainside who received the same email. Newmark’s donations to Mountainside that day totaled over $1,600.
#BestSchoolDay was created by Donors Choose as a call to action for people across America to support classrooms in need. Newmark appeared, along with many other celebrities on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. These celebrities announced the states where they completed the funding for every single classroom request posted on the Donors Choose site as of March 10th. According to Newmark, “I’m personally funding all of New Jersey …I grew up in Morristown.”
But March 10th is not the only day that Donors Choose has provided books and supplies for Mountainside students. The Mountainside School District has received over $35,000 in grants for classroom projects. As part of a district wide initiative, this is the third year every classroom teacher in Mountainside has written Donors Choose grants. It began as a way to get more books into each classroom for the new Language Arts program, and as a way for the community to get more involved. But support has expanded. Teachers have received donations from across the country. In addition, the Donors Choose organization provides matching money to early submissions.
Newmark feels strongly about giving back in New Jersey, “Having the supplies to teach should be a fundamental right. It’s our job to give back to those educating generation after generation.”
(above) Students in Mrs. Kline’s class enjoy thei books obtained through a Donors Choose grant.
