The Power of Crowd-Funding in a Classroom

As future teachers, we often have big plans about what we’ll do in a classroom. We dream about accessibility with iPads, laptops, interactive white boards, all sorts of wonderful things to have in a classroom. But those things cost money and a school can’t afford to have those things most of the time. So, you might ask yourself, “Where can I get the money to pay for these nice things for my students?” One answer that a few of my teachers used in high school was DonorsChoose. Donors Choose helped fund many things in my high school, from a DSLR camera for the Yearbook to a books in an English class. It’s a good way for teachers to get the resources that they need with the help of others.

Yes, others. Did you expect the money to come out of thin air? It sounds too good to be true, but you need to rely on other people to chip in to help you out. It’s powered by generosity and the willingness to help the future. How does Donors Choose work? You can create a Project page, specifying details about what you need, how many, the total cost, and what you’ll be using the materials for. Once that’s set up, people around the world can help fund your project. Once your project is fully funded, the materials will be ordered and sent to you. Man, doesn’t that sound amazing? The hardest step though, is getting people to fund your project. 

How can you get people to fund your project? One method I saw frequently was sharing it. Post it on Facebook and hope your Facebook friends will help you out. I’m Facebook friends with a few of my former teachers and I would see a Donors Choose project every now and then. It's an alternative way to get funding in your classroom, so it's a great resource to keep in mind if you're working in an environment without funding. If you're feeling generous, go through the website and see if there are any projects that catch your eye, maybe donate if you can. You can help the future out.