Arizona teachers raise more than $400,000 using AdoptAClassroom.org $131,000 raised for teachers in the Prescott area
Prescott, AZ — Nov. 30, 2016 – More than 1,000 Arizona teachers, including more than 100 in Prescott, are actively crowdfunding for classroom supplies through the nonprofit organization AdoptAClassroom.org, one of the original crowdfunding platforms for teachers.
Faced with limited resources, Prescott teachers are stepping up and spending money out of their own pockets to stock their classrooms with supplies. Nationally, the average teacher spends nearly $600 to provide supplies for their classroom. Fortunately, they’re not alone.
To date, supporters gave more than $400,000 to Arizona teachers on AdoptAClassroom.org for supplies; $131,000 in the Prescott area alone. Funds are donated by individual donors, local businesses, national foundations, and corporate sponsors working together to support teachers in need.
New teachers starting their careers in Arizona receive an average beginning salary of $31,874, $4,267 less than the national average for first-year teachers. The average Prescott teacher salary is $14,438 below the national median. AdoptAClassroom.org volunteers, like Prescott’s Mike Ellegood, are spreading the word about the struggle teachers’ face and the importance of supporting education in their own community. Ellegood is always looking to connect community members with a teacher in need of supplies.
“If we all do a little bit, no one has to carry all the weight themselves,” said Ellegood. “I tell my community, ‘Here’s what you do, it’s really simple. You pick a teacher on AdoptAClassroom.org and you give.’”
This year, Taylor Hicks Elementary School math teacher Roberta Runyan used AdoptAClassroom.org to make sure her students have the tools and materials needed to learn.
“Many of my students’ families simply cannot afford to fill the classroom supply list I distribute each year,” said Runyan. “When I am able to provide my class with the necessary tools they need, I see my students more focused and much more successful overall.”
Runyan used funds she’s raised on AdoptAClassroom.org to purchase needed materials such as pencil sharpeners, instruction materials for teaching measurements and numbers, and a math activity book. Every donation helps alleviate some of the financial burden and Runyan maintains a positive outlook for teaching in Prescott.
“Even when teaching is difficult, I can still walk away knowing I have done everything in my power to teach my students,” said Runyan. “Those moments when the light bulb goes off and they get excited about learning is what makes teaching worth it.”
To help put supplies in the hands of teachers like Runyan, visit AdoptAClassroom.org to find and donate to a classroom in the Prescott community.
About AdoptAClassroom.org
AdoptAClassroom.org empowers teachers by providing the classroom supplies and materials needed to help their students learn and succeed. As an award-winning 501(c)(3), AdoptAClassroom.org makes it easy for individual donors and corporate sponsors to donate funds to K-12 classrooms in public, private and charter schools throughout the U.S. On average, teachers spend $600 of their own money each year to equip their classrooms – 20% of teachers spend more than $1000 annually. Since 1998 AdoptAClassroom.org has raised more than $30 million and benefited more than 4.2 million students. AdoptAClassroom.org holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. For more information, or to adopt a classroom, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.
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