DonorsChoose Science Challenge Results!

The DonorsChoose Science Blog Challenge is over–and Bug Donors were able to fund a Connecticut teacher! Yay!

Here’s what she had to say:

I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for your generosity. It is so amazing and inspiring to know that you are all committed to expanding my students’ experiences and opportunities. 

The resources that you have provided will give my students first-hand knowledge of life science. Students who have never before explored the natural world will get a chance to observe, care for, interact with, and study live animals in their habitats. My students will be exposed to the world outside of the streets, and this exposure and experience can help them reach their full potential in life. 

I know that my students can succeed, given the opportunity. YOU have helped give them this opportunity. Thank you on behalf of my students and their futures.

With gratitude,
Ms. O

If that letter doesn’t make you a little verklempt, you have a heart of stone.  Thank you so much for your generous donations! It’s not really important to win the competition, but to get kids involved with nature.  The total for ALL the science bloggers that participated was over $50,000 and will affect over 27,00o kids. WIN.

If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time–you can visit the Insect Donors Challenge page and still give.  We are just $179 away from funding a teacher in Tulsa that wants to give her pre-K urban kids natural materials to learn and play with.  There are two other projects that will involve kids in composting and gardening.

Thanks everyone!

Update on the Challenge

You might remember that last month I threw down the gauntlet to some of the bigger cousins in the interwebs for the DonorsChoose Challenge!

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that provides an easy way for people to fund projects in schools by donating online.  The Challenge is a  month-long competition between blogs to see who can bring in the most donations to help low-income classrooms.

I chose schools in high poverty areas that have insect-themed or garden themed projects. A couple of them are in Michigan!

I invited some of my Nature Blog Network Friends to come along, and talked some smack about kicking some A-list blogger asses.

So, how are we doing?

Ah.

Err.

Fashion Blogs and Gawker are beating us into a pulp. This is fairly embarrassing.

Please visit my Giving Page to make a donation. Or, choose another of the NBN blogs to make a donation to!  If we can gain additional donors by this weekend, HP will make an additional donation to the NBN blogs!

It doesn’t have to be a lot–the whole idea of DonorsChoose is that lots of people can pool little amounts of money to do big things.

Thanks!

DonorsChoose Reminder

Just a reminder–one of the projects I chose that combines Math and Insects only has 8 more days to be funded!

“DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.”

Several folks have already donated, and three of the projects were fully funded–Thank you!!

I hope that all the insect lovers out there (and maybe even some entomology departments!) will consider giving to these projects and sharing our wonder in the entomological world.  

I still haven’t had any suggestions on my “offer to do something wacky” if all my chosen projects are funded.  (It’s part of the DonorsChoose blogger challenge.) You’ve already seen me with my arm up a cow butt, and exposing myself to people in Milwaukee.

What can I do that will top that? Feel free to make suggestions.

Donors Choose Insect Challenge!

If you didn’t hear about it, there is a Blogger Challenge for DonorsChoose.org:

“DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.”

I have created a page of insect-related projects in high poverty schools that I think are really interesting and innovative.  They use insects in cross-curricular ways, and these are things that I think will be lasting efforts that will benefit future students too.

With the year winding down, perhaps you are looking for something tax-deductible.  Maybe right now you want to do something positive to balance all the negativity in the world.  You can also give a donation in someone’s name as a gift, if you are stumped for what to get someone for the holidays.

I hope that all the insect lovers out there (and maybe even some entomology departments!) will consider giving to these projects and sharing our wonder in the entomological world.

I’m also supposed to “offer to do something wacky” if all my chosen projects are funded.  Nothing much is coming to mind, since you’ve already seen me with my arm up a cow butt, and exposing myself to people in Milwaukee.

What can I do that will top that? Feel free to make suggestions.