Helping to Fund Mrs. Henry’s Project at South Grand Prairie High School

Mrs. Henry is a 9-12 English teacher at South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas. She had an unusual opportunity. Many of her students were planning to become educators after college, but they didn’t want to wait to start helping younger students read. So they approached Mrs. Henry and asked her to help them create a classroom Reading Center where they could help elementary school students improve their reading skills. They felt that the need for a Reading Center was especially acute in Grand Prairie, a community where more than half of all students come from low-income households.

So Mrs. Henry got involved. She helped her students plan a Reading Center. “The goal is that each week the elementary student will enhance their reading skill to take home the select reading material to show their developing skill,” she explains. For that to work, the Reading Center needed supplies that included zip-sealed poly bags that students could use to carry their materials home, adhesive-backed sheets so they could display their projects in the Center, and a Silhouette Pen Starter Kit for each primary-school student to use.

The total cost of Reading Center supplies was actually quite modest, at only about $170.00 to fund the entire program. But recognizing the need to keep spending under control in her school system, Mrs. Henry decided to ask for funding by posting her students’ Reading Center project on DonorsChoose.org where individuals and organizations could help her fund the project and allow the students to achieve their goals.

And now, her project is 100% funded, thanks to contributions from the Student Research Foundation, Sonic Drive-In, and other benefactors.

Mrs. Henry writes . . .

Thank you for your support in fulfilling the needs of our project. The students will not only have endless opportunities creating bulletin boards and classroom decorations but also resources available to aid in the reading buddies program. As future teachers they have seen the need in incorporating others in reaching goals. We could not have done this without your support. Thank you again!

With gratitude,
Mrs. Henry

Looking Forward for the Students of South Grand Prairie High School

Mrs. Henry’s students will now have great experiences to share on their resumes and may very well become future teachers. Teaching kids the skills to teach others at an early age will help them in almost any career they chose, because teaching is a universal skill.

We look forward to writing about the success of more DonorsChoose.org teacher projects here on the Student Research Foundation blog. Stay tuned!