3rd Annual science education fundraiser LAUNCH!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Florida Citizens for Science News Release
Contact: Brandon Haught; bhaught@flascience.org
——————————————
FLORIDA SCIENCE EDUCATION NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
Oct. 1, 2010 — Education budget woes felt throughout the state are preventing many teachers from obtaining necessary science equipment, thus crippling them at a time when a new set of science standards is demanding that they give students more in-depth science instruction. Florida Citizens for Science wants to lend a hand through its third annual fund raising campaign launched today.
Students in an elementary school class in St. Petersburg voted science their favorite subject, but they need the equipment to make the subject come alive outside of books. The teacher says that the science kits she wants will go a long way: “The best part is that they can be used year after year and will help countless students.â€
A middle school teacher in Port St Lucie laments that her students want to do dissections but can’t due to lack of funds. “Our district is not able to buy science lab supplies so we make do with materials that can be gathered from home or very low cost,†she said.
A middle school teacher in Avon Park wants a life size skeleton for his students to get some hands-on learning. “Our state and county school system are going through a tremendous budget crunch,†he said. “There is no extra money for science supplies.â€
Florida Citizens for Science asks everyone who cares about science education across the state to pitch in. Through the nonprofit online organization DonorsChoose.org, we have identified six Florida teachers who have asked for help in funding science education projects. We are asking concerned citizens to donate money to help these fundamental science projects become reality. Additionally, Florida Citizens for Science will match contributions dollar for dollar up to $600. So, if donators raise at least $600, we will double that to a total of $1,200. Of course, we encourage everyone to shoot past the $600 mark!
All donations are accepted and appreciated, regardless of the amount. Just visit our “giving page†at DonorsChoose to make your donation. The money raised stays right here in our state, benefiting our students’ science education. We hope to wrap up this fund raising project by Nov. 1.
Some of the schools we hope to assist:
- New Heights Elementary School, St. Petersburg
- Manatee Elementary School, Port St. Lucie
- James Stephens Int’l Acad, Fort Myers
- Avon Park Middle School, Avon Park
- Sunset Park Elementary School, Windermere
- Chets Creek Elementary School, Jacksonville
Last year we exceeded our fund raising goal, giving $1,775 to 13 schools. Let’s see if we can do that again! Here’s a series of blog posts about previous year’s efforts, including some thank you notes we got from kids.
