Help Classroom Teachers at donorschoose.org
While scrolling through her social media account Dr. Angela Boehler Homoky’s attention was piqued by a post from her niece Ms. Allison Bruss, a 5th and 6th grade Self Contained Varying Exceptionalities Educator at Charlotte Harbor Center in Punta Gorda. Charlotte Harbor Center is a public education center school with programs for Pre-K through 12th grade with a special emphasis on Positive Behavior Support, Reinforcements and Rewards for learning. They offer physical and occupational therapy, speech, language therapy, vision services, art and music, aquatics and both an on and off campus vocational program. As Allison explained in her post, ESE (Exceptional Student Education) students require more hands-on projects to keep them motivated and focused. This often means that Allison, and teachers like her, needs to come up with more involved and elaborate lesson materials and that equates to increased cost. Often these costs are generously donated out of the teacher’s own bank account. Allison was asking for help through a wonderful, easy program called Donor’s Choose. Donorschoose.org
Started in 2000 by a teacher at a Bronx public school, teachers can post classroom project requests, and donors can choose the ones they would like to financially help support. Since 2000, over 880 million dollars has been raised, over 36 thousand students helped and over a million and a half projects have been funded. Dr. Angela was eager to help. “After each project is completely funded, Allison posts updates about the students and how the students respond to the lessons and supplies. I love seeing the updates which often include photos… with lots of smiles! Being in the dental medicine field with a dental practice called Simply Smiles… beautiful smiles especially warm my heart.”, says Dr. Angela. Ms. Bruss explains, “When the students first saw the materials, they were very excited. They wanted to open them immediately. Once they opened the packages, they were so full of joy they wanted to work on assignments right that second!”
Many teachers in Charlotte County have projects currently posted on the website. “I’ve always enjoyed going into the local schools during Children’s Dental Health month in February to interact with the students. It’s fabulous to have another way to effectively and easily help our amazing local teachers all throughout the school year. And with the upcoming relocation of my office to our all new dental facility near Port Charlotte High School and Murdock Middle School I’m sure we will be seeing more of those wonderful student smiles.”, Dr. Angela explains. Ms. Bruss sums it all up the best, “The future of the world is my classroom today!”