Deneen Elementary teacher raises funds to get help with school supplies

Deneen School of Excellence sits in the Grand Crossing neighborhood and is one of 32 Chicago Public Schools managed by the Academy of Urban School Leadership. (Photo Courtesy of The Academy for Urban School Leadership).
Deneen School of Excellence sits in the Grand Crossing neighborhood and is one of 32 Chicago Public Schools managed by the Academy of Urban School Leadership. (Photo Courtesy of The Academy for Urban School Leadership).

Deneen Elementary teacher raises funds to get help with school supplies

By Monique Smith

All in the name of science! Rachael Copelin, a science teacher at Deneen School of Excellence is trying to raise funds for her students to enhance their learning experience. It’s no secret that many Chicago Public Schools are low on resources especially those in low-income communities. The number of low income students that attend Deneen Elementary is 97.3%. Many of the children live below the poverty line.

School supplies and learning tools are often a luxury in a classroom when they are truly a necessity. For years teachers who love what they do and the children they teach often spend their own money and invest in supplies and materials for their classrooms to help their students excel. Most often the money they’ve spent is without any offers or guarantees of reimbursement.

Copelin is currently fundraising to purchase Science Activity Tubs and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Bundles to have differentiated science materials to enhance her students comprehension of science content. “My students are an incredible group of hardworking, dedicated and collaborative children,” said Copelin. “For many of them they lack the resources at home to further their learning. While they may have more hardships than one could fathom, their diligence and their desire to learn is more contagious than anything I’ve experienced in my life,” she said.

When looking at the rates of unemployment and job opportunities, one of the areas where African Americans are least represented are in the field of Engineering, Science and Technology. It’s is also the field that has seen the most job growth because of the need for green technology, studies on global warming and agriculture and food production. CPS’s standard education curriculum isn’t designed to have a strong emphasis on science education and technology just a basic knowledge of science. Copelin says, “These materials will be used during science in small groups to give students an exciting and interactive way to problem solve and think critically while at the same time deepening their understanding of various science skills.”

Copelin needs to raise $1107 for this project and will not receive any of the materials unless the project is fully funded by October 2, 2016. You can donate by logging onto www. Donorschoose.org, a site that was started back in 2000 by Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school. He wanted his students to read Little House on the Prairie and was making photocopies of the one book he could procure. Best thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials. And he figured there were people out there who’d want to help — if they could see where their money was going. Best sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests and donors could choose the ones they wanted to support. The site is open to every public school in America.

The Deneen School of Excellence is located at 7257 S. State St., where Erin Washington is the Principal.

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