Holiday Giving to Support Education
The need for additional resources in education is almost bottomless. While a handful of elite institutions may have what they need to do the work the way we know is best, the truth is, help is needed just about everywhere.
The following suggestions are in no way an exhaustive list of worthy causes, but these are some of the ways we like to give, and the organizations we support here at Educational Endeavors.
Emergency Student Funds
Research has shown that one of the most common causes of college students dropping out is a sudden financial disruption. For that reason, every college or university has a fund that is dedicated to providing short-term funding in relatively small amounts to students who experience trouble with secure housing, reliable transportation, or other things that, when absent, make it impossible to go to school. If you give regularly to your alma mater, or want to support a local institution, consider designating that donation specifically to the emergency student fund, and every dollar will go directly to someone who needs it, and needs it quickly.
In a decent world, classroom teachers don’t have to go to a website to post lists of needed materials and supplies like books, art supplies, computers, chairs, and desks. But in this world teachers often need help providing those things for their students, and Donors Choose allows you to match your giving to the school or specific need of your choice.
The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund
Educational Endeavors has been partnering with DMSF for 18 years, helping prepare students for success in high school and beyond. These scholarships translate to a 100% high school graduation rate with nearly 90% of scholars graduated or on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
JennTheTutor’s GoFundMe for Students
Regular readers may recall our Q&A with Jennifer Jessie, aka, JennTheTutor, who uses GoFundMe to give students who otherwise couldn’t afford it high level tutoring and counseling services that help level the playing field on college admissions.
The National Writing Project establishes community-based projects that allow students to engage with authentic writing experiences that turn them into engaged and empowered writers.
Full disclosure, EE staff writer John Warner is a member of the board, but the reason he spends his time helping is because he believes that the work HRP is doing to provide resources and professional development to educators that want to honor students as human beings first is so important.
The mission of Room to Read is straightforward: to combat illiteracy worldwide by providing materials where they’re needed to help children gain access to the materials necessary to open them to the world of reading. More than 32 million children have been helped.
We hope you have a warm, safe and relaxing holiday. We’re grateful for your readership and look forward to serving you in the new year.