Ayah Bdeir Supports #ISeeMe with DonorsChoose.org to Empower Students – Sphero

Sphero TeamMay 16, 2019

Photo collage of images of students and teachers learning in classroom.

Supporting teachers in classrooms is a quick and easy way to ensure students have the materials they need to create a fun and rewarding learning environment. Taking that notion a step further, DonorsChoose.org launched #ISeeMe to enable people to support classroom requests from underrepresented educators and from all teachers who seek materials that reflect their students’ identities.

“We are so excited to work with DonorsChoose.org to support teachers! We know how hard they work, and we are thankful for the work they do to get kids to use curiosity and imagination to create their future,” said Ayah Bdeir. “We share teachers' passion for learning and through #ISeeMe will give the opportunity for kids to have fun and exciting learning environments that empower them to become future ChangeMakers.”

At littleBits, we’re working to empower kids everywhere - regardless of gender, race, nationality or ability - to solve epic challenges. This is only possible when we all work together. Projects, like the one shared by Ms. Rogina at PS18 John Whittier, enable a fun and exciting learning environment where students’ innate curiosity and creativity take center stage.

“I want to empower my students through creativity and invention,” said Ms. Rogina at PS18 John Whittier, Staten Island, New York. “I want them to be creative and reinvent technologies that they find to be interesting. This will help them become more confident, independent thinkers and problem solvers.”

Consider the following data shared by DonorsChoose.org from the student perspective:

The dropout rate among black students decreases by 33% if they have just one black teacher between third and fifth grade.

50% of public school students, but only 20% of their teachers, are people of color. By supporting classroom requests from teachers of color, we help to retain and empower these educators. Sources: IZA Institute of Labor Economics, The New York Times
Girls who went to high schools with a higher proportion of female STEM teachers were 19% more likely to graduate from college with a science or math major.
Women are 3X less likely to teach math, and 2.5X less likely to teach science. By supporting women STEM teachers, we celebrate and equip role models who show girls they can be the engineers and technologists of tomorrow. Sources: Economics of Education Review, National Center for Education Statistics
DonorsChoose.org has seen a 3X increase in classroom projects requesting resources for students to “see themselves.”

Join Ayah, influencers, and more than 50,000 teachers to support diversity in classrooms across the United States. Help students see themselves in their learning. With #ISeeMe you can now choose projects that directly support:

Thanks for your support ensuring that classrooms represent ALL students!