Kickstarter Donation: Classroom Field Trip through Donor's Choose
Last year when we were researching nonprofits partners we can donate to, we were blown away with Donor's Choose, an organization that all started with a history teacher. Charles Best was teaching in a Bronx public high school when he was making photocopies of Little House on the Prairie. As the Xerox machine hummed away, he thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books and art supplies. He figured there were people out there who would be willing to help they could see exactly where their money was going. Charles started working on a website where donors could choose exactly where their money went for various school projects.
Today, Donor's Choose is open to every public school in America and their team has vetted and fulfilled over 1.3 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to Little House on the Prairie. Donor's Choose has been given Charity Navigator’s highest rating every year since 2015. With 95% of donation money going directly to classroom projects.
Earlier this year, Untold Rebel was proud to contribute to one classroom project that enabled a classroom to travel from Philadelphia to Florida for the HOSA Leadership Conference. Our $350 donation which was matched by Google, enabled students the opportunity to travel out of their hometown, network with peers from around the world and learn about the health care industry and leadership roles.
The students who traveled are made up of children from throughout Philadelphia from various cultural backgrounds and poverty levels. The potential of these students is often overlooked due to the negative experiences they have been affected by, including the opioid epidemic and violence in the neighborhoods.
This trip offered students real-life experiences, the chance to network with peers from all over the world pursuing health careers. Participating in the HOSA Leadership Conference gave them the opportunity to travel and see a world that exists outside of their homes. The goal of the trip was for the students to envision themselves in a beautiful new world out there ready for their discovery. This trip has given them the incentive to be successful in high school and through post-secondary education.
Support a classroom. Build a future. It all begins here. Sounds like a cool organization right? Learn more about Donor’s Choose. You can also learn more about the classroom field trip we donated to here.
Learn more about Donor's Choose and why Steven Colbert is a big supporter.