Donors to AdoptAClassroom.org can help bring equity in education to the individual classroom with our new Inclusive Classroom Fund. This new addition to our Spotlight Funds supports teachers who require supplies that address their students’ individual needs, in order to create a level playing field in their classroom.
Donations to this fund will help teachers purchase reading materials which are more representative of their students’ cultural backgrounds and diverse experiences, materials for ESL students, equipment and curriculum materials for special needs students, anti-bullying programs and workshops, diversity training for teachers, alternative learning therapies, and much more.
Here are some great examples of classrooms this fund supports:
Support for Special Education
Kindergarten teacher Roseanna teaches special needs learners who are transitioning into a general education environment. Through her AdoptAClassroom.org account, she raised more than $2,500 to supply her classroom with specialized books and Bouncy Band sensory fidgets, so all of her students have the unique tools they need to learn alongside their peers.
Without these materials Roseanna was able to purchase, thanks to the donors who gave to her classroom, many of her students would be disruptive during class time, making it difficult for other students and for them to be able to transition out of the special education classroom.
“A handful of my students need extra fidgety time, and Bouncy Bands are working really well for them,” said Roseanna. “Before they would have been out of their seats wandering, and bothering other kids. But now, they’re at their seats focused on doing their work.”
According to a 2015 Building a Grad Nation Report, the high school graduation rate for students with disabilities is about 61.9 percent, but could increase to 90 percent if these students received the right kind of support. Many teachers, such as Roseanna, are using their own money to ensure these students get what they need. But with the help of donors, they won’t have to spend their own money any longer.
Support for English Language Learners
STEM teacher Samsam teaches students who recently moved to the United States from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Samsam looks for creative ways to help her students learn and communicate in their new home, but she needs the right materials to ensure their success.
“Most of my students don’t know how to read so for them to see all of these words is overwhelming,” said Samsam. “Whereas, if they saw a visual model they could be like, ‘Oh, I get that and it makes more sense now.’”
Sixth grade language arts teacher Alisha also teaches East 
African immigrants who are new to the United States. Many of her students have very little exposure to English outside of her classroom. If there’s a lack of literacy materials in school it’s difficult for her students to succeed outside of their community.
“Books are so expensive and we have to buy them out of our own pocket,” said Cromwell. “These kids deserve to have the materials they need to learn.”
A study by The Anne E. Casey Foundation found that 96 percent of proficient readers graduate high school. In order to create proficient readers, these English language learners need literacy materials today.
Make your gift now to our Inclusive Classroom Fund to help ensure all students have an equal chance at a bright future.