NEWBERRY — Alison Bowers, a kindergarten teacher at Newberry Elementary School, is happy to reap the benefits of someone else’s generosity — especially when that “someone” is Stephen Colbert.
Colbert recently partnered with Share Fair Nation and ScanSource to fund every classroom project in South Carolina on DonorsChoose.org during Teacher Appreciation Week. Together, the three contributions funded nearly 1,000 projects for more than 800 teachers at more than 375 schools, totaling $800,000.
Bowers was the only teacher in the Newberry County School District who received funding.
Colbert, a South Carolina native, announced the funding at a conference in New York hosted by DonorsChoose.org, a crowdfunding non-profit where teachers create projects requesting materials and experiences their students need to learn, and donors support the projects that inspire them.
Bowers, who had requested $481 worth of materials for reading in the classroom, said she was thankful for Colbert’s generosity.
Bowers is in her second year at NES but has taught kindergarten for 11 years. She said she put in a request on DonorsChoose.org for reading materials to get her students more excited about reading.
Bowers said she wanted a listening center, where she could put in CDs and her students could read and have headphones on and point along with words. She also asked for headphones to go with the center.
“I had a CD player at the beginning of year that I brought, but it just didn’t work,” Bower said. “With this, multiple children can sit there and listen to same book.”
She also asked for a LeapFrog called Tag reading system that has books you download from a computer to the Tag. With the device, students could read books, but would be able to point to words with the device that helps them sound them out individually.
Along with the LeapFrog system, Bowers said she asked for books on the first and second grade level to go with it.
“We have a lot of books here in our literacy lab, but a lot are geared for first grade and up and some of our kids need easier books with more of our high frequency words in them,” Bowers said.
The process for putting in a request on DonorsChoose.org, Bowers said can be a long one.
When making a request, Bowers said you come up with a list of things you may be lacking, but that are above your budget. Although as a teacher, she receives funding, Bowers said most of the time, that money is spent on items such as glue or paper, things that are a necessity for the classroom.
Once a plan is written up, Bowers said you’re able to make up a mock order which goes onto the site and when donations are made and it is fulfilled, the requested materials are mailed straight to the teacher who requested them.
Another part of the request is a thank you letter.
“Once you receive materials, you have to take pictures of children using the materials and write a reflection of how they’re using them and how they’re impacting the children, and things like that,” Bowers said.
Anyone can see the thank you letter. Bowers said DonorsChoose gives teachers points, which allows them to write the grants. Following through with the requirements of the website, such as writing the thank-you letter, gives the teacher points when they submit.
“We’re so grateful that Stephen, Share Fair Nation, and ScanSource could help the teachers of South Carolina in such a big and magical way today,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org.
Molly Spearman, state superintendent of education, said she commended Colbert, Share Fair Nation and ScanSource for the support they have given to the dedicated and hardworking teachers of SC through their gift.
“I know these teachers will use it in a way that improves the quality of education for South Carolina’s students,” Spearman said.
Bowers said she normally receives email updates when any amount of funding is donated to a grant she publishes to the website.
“I was so shocked and so excited,” Bowers said. “It sent me an email to say my project had been fully funded.”
Bowers said she had written the grant in January, but hadn’t had anyone donate to it. Although the process is long, Bowers said it is so worth it and encourages other teacher to write grants on the website.
“To be honest, it takes a lot to write the grant so if you do that, you’re really doing this for your students,” Bowers said. “You really want these items for your students.”
The items Bowers requested should be to her by the beginning of the next school year in August, she said. Bowers said that would be perfect in order to show her new students how to use their listening center and things like that.
To the contributors — Bowers said it was just awesome and sends her thanks for supporting education.
“It’s a hard job and it’s very nice to be appreciated,” Bowers said.