DonorsChoose Fuels Education in Arizona Classrooms

By Tori Smith

Students see Deloria Lomawaima for 40 minutes once a week during one of their elective classes. Moencopi Day School, located on the Hopi reservation, is the school where Lomawaima attended school from kindergarten through sixth grade, and now serves as an advocate for her alma mater. 

DonorsChoose was created 25 years ago when a high school teacher in the Bronx thought about all the out-of-pocket expenses his colleagues were spending on materials for their students. Now, DonorsChoose is the platform that most public school teachers across the US use to request materials for their classrooms.

Lomawaima, a recent first-time user of DonorsChoose, submitted a project last year called “STEM for Our Unique Library” in which she requested items like assorted science mats, STEM science stations, magnets, and more. She wrote in the request: “I am also hopeful that this will instill in them [her students] that even though they are a minority in this field, they too can become leaders in the STEM field one day!”

Recently, with support from the Burton Family Foundation (BFF) and other donors, Lomawaima received the last item on her DonorsChoose project list. 

The mission of DonorsChoose is to “make it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.”

The types of projects on DonorsChoose are vast. There are projects ranging from requests for drawstrings bags for a career day event, fidget toys and chairs for a resource room, and reusable water bottles from a school nurse. 

The National Education Association found that, on average, teachers spend $500 to $700 of their own money each year for student and classroom supplies. Even though educators are able to take a tax deduction of up to $300 for these materials, that doesn’t always equate to what students need. Through programs like DonorsChoose, the added burden of supplying their classrooms is minimized. 

Essentially, donors are able to view a teacher’s request for specific items, why they need it for their classroom, and how many students it will impact. For Lomawaima’s project, over 80 students were able to make use of the various STEM materials she requested, nearly all of them coming from low-income households. 

“At this age, they’re invincible,” she said. “They think they’re invincible. They know they’re invincible. I really want to support that drive and keep that going for a lot of them.”

Last year, BFF supported more than 2,200 classroom projects in nearly 550 schools across Arizona, impacting an estimated 26,800 students.

Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, expressed his gratitude for donors supporting teachers and students. “DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Studies show that a classroom having funded DonorsChoose projects increases student achievement and makes a teacher 22% less likely to leave the profession. 

Since 2000, DonorsChoose supporters, including individual donors, foundations, and corporations, have helped teachers raise $1.7 billion for their classrooms through the platform. Every dollar has helped students access the best education, and every dollar continues to be an investment in shaping the future of our country."

Lomawaima says she never had resources like the ones she’s able to provide for her students through DonorsChoose. The materials are going to last for many more years to come. 

Lomawaima is able to use the building materials to teach measuring, magnetism, and engineering skills to her older kids. She’s teaching magnetism to kindergarten students using a marble maze. “It’s a lot of fun to see kids when they have no idea what’s beyond our reservation,” she said. “Hopefully, what we can do here in the library can keep growing their interest and promote the idea that they can be scientists.” 

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To learn more about DonorsChoose, please visit: https://www.donorschoose.org.