Teachers Crowdfund for Classroom Equipment

Submitted by Troy School District 30-C

Photo: Troy William B. Orenic Intermediate School teacher Jennifer McGowan, Troy District 30-C school board member Cynthia Rasmussen Grabavoy and Troy alumnus and crowdfunder Nicholas Grabavoy. McGowan is seeking public donations for yoga balls for her 6th grade students through the crowdfunding site, donorschoose.org.

Parents and community members who want to thank a teacher have the opportunity to do so through easy, online crowdfunding. One Troy District 30-C William B. Orenic Intermediate School teacher, for example, is asking for donations for a project she is trying to get off the ground for the next school year.

Sixth grade Accelerated English Language Arts teacher Jennifer McGowan wants to have a classroom of yoga balls for her students. Not for yoga precisely, but for other reasons she has researched extensively.

“The students will sit on yoga balls during computer activities, reading times and while writing compositions,” McGowan said. “Having this seating option will also allow our Socratic Seminars to maintain a circle, which increases positive body language during discussion.”

McGowan says using the large balls, sometimes called, “exercise balls,” will also physically impact her students by increasing their core muscle strength and by becoming an exercise tool during their “Work-out of the Day.”

“Research indicates using the balls can enhance their physical fitness levels and promote an active lifestyle throughout their day,” she said.

The public can learn more about McGowan’s campaign and donate to it at http://www.donorschoose.org/project/mcgowans-ninjas-strike-back/1516890/.

Troy School District 30-C school board member and Vice-President Dr. Cynthia Rasmussen Grabavoy believes funding teachers’ projects in this manner can be a great way for individuals in the community to give to their neighborhood schools or even to a far-away school to which they are connected.

“People are always asking how they can help a particular teacher or school,” Rasmussen Grabavoy said, “and this is a great way to do that. An end-of-the-year thank you gift or a beginning-of-the-school-year supportive donation can go a long way in a classroom.”

School alumni can donate to help a former teacher or school, area residents can give to support their neighborhood schools and grandparents can even donate long distance to give a special boost to their grandchildren’s education.

Rasmussen Grabavoy learned about the program when her son Nicholas Grabavoy, a Troy alumnus and medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, researched the crowdfunding website last year and found a Troy Craughwell Elementary School teacher on the site, asking for donations to purchase books for her classroom library.

“It was two days before her deadline was up, and her project was not fully funded,” he said. “I liked her project. I place a pretty high value on education, and I’ve had some very good teachers at Troy.”

Grabavoy donated to the cause. He was surprised later in the year when he received thank-you notes from every student in her class and an invitation to visit. He did, and it’s something he said he will never forget.

“They were able to buy a variety of books,” he said. “It got them excited about reading them.”

Grabavoy said the site is a great way for teachers to reach out and seek funding for projects or equipment they envision for their classrooms.

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