Minneapolis, MN – March 07, 2019 – Today, AdoptAClassroom.org — the national nonprofit that raises funds for teachers and principals to purchase school materials — announced that they’ve awarded $9,000 from their Arts Fund to 15 classrooms across the U.S. The grant money is to benefit classrooms in need of arts education supplies so students have the tools they deserve to express their creativity in school.
The AdoptAClassroom.org Arts Fund supports arts education programs in schools — from drama to finger-painting — so every classroom is stocked with the all the supplies they need without teachers, principals, or administrators having to spend their own money.
According to a 2018 AdoptAClassroom.org survey of more than 4,400 teachers, the average U.S. teacher spends $740 of their own money each year on classroom supplies. A 2016 AdoptAClassroom.org survey of more than 1,800 teachers, found that art materials are the most commonly bought classroom supply, which were purchased with money out of their own pockets by 82 percent of teachers surveyed.
“I think it is really important for my special education students to have the same art opportunities that their peers have in the general education classroom,” said teacher and $500 Art Fund Grant recipient Robin Flecha. “I will buy art materials that incorporate different sensory experiences like colored sand, foam finger paint, tissue paper, clay, and colored feathers.”
Teachers awarded AdoptAClassroom.org Arts Fund Grant donations:
- Crystal Martinez – $1,000 – Mary Hull Elementary School in San Antonio, TX
- Ms. K. Kroll – $1,000 – Milwaukee, WI school teacher
- Megan Shea $1,000 – Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, MA
- Shasta Lawton – $500 – Mountain View Elementary School in Salt Lake City, UT
- Christy Hicks – $500 – Takoda Prep – American Indian OIC in Minneapolis, MN
- Brandi Hoxie – $500 – Popp’s Ferry Elementary School in Biloxi, MS
- Lisa Liss – $500 – Woodlake Elementary School in Sacramento, CA
- Megan Halford – $500 – Lamar Elementary School in Wichita Falls, TX
- Robin Flecha – $500 – George Hall Elementary School in San Mateo, CA
- Jennifer Banks – $500 – Riverdale High School in Riverdale, GA
- Michael Kurdyla – $500 – San Pedro High School in San Pedro, CA
- Rebecca Jontos – $500 – Alfred S. Letourneau Elementary School in Fall River, MA
- Andrea Gaines – $500 – Marshall School in Harrisburg, PA
- Christal Lord – $500 – Palms Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA
- Melissa Ehlers – $500 – Mississippi Creative Arts School in St. Paul, MN
Any K-12 teacher, principal and administrator can fundraise using AdoptAClassroom.org’s proprietary fundraising platform, and apply for grants through their Spotlight Fund program that funds specific subject areas or unique area of needs. AdoptAClassroom.org’s Spotlight Funds focus on STEAM, Inclusive Classrooms, Highest Need, New Teachers and Disaster Relief. In March, the nonprofit merged their Arts Fund and STEM Fund to create the AdoptAClassroom.org STEAM Fund to better serve students in need.
About AdoptAClassroom.org
We are a national, award-winning nonprofit that provides the most flexible and accountable funding for K-12 teachers and schools throughout the U.S. Our proprietary, easy-to-use education fundraising platform helps teachers, principals, and administrators give every child the tools they deserve to succeed in school. Since 1998, we have raised more than $36 million and supported 4.5 million students. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we hold a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.
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