As the holiday seasons erupts into full swing, I’m thinking a lot about what to give my loved ones. My go-to gift for any birthday or holiday is usually homemade food (pork tamales, french truffles, gingerbread cake, any kind of chocolate) but this year I wanted to see if I could give gifts that would more directly connect with what I care about: making a positive difference in the lives of students and teachers. These are a few of the ideas I plan to pursue:
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Sponsor a teacher's wish. DonorsChoose is full of inspiring projects from teachers around the country. Give a gift in the name of a friend or loved one and help students in Chicago, IL explore science or students in Oakland, CA have access to studio art or students in Mesa, AZ just have the basics (pencils, paper, and markers).
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Buy a gift from Concern Gifts and bring food, clean water, good health, education, and a higher standard of living to people in 25 of the world's poorest countries.
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Teach a student to read. Organizations like Reading Partners train community volunteers to be 1-1 reading tutors for students in high-needs schools. Maybe Aunt Mary could spend her time tutoring instead of crafting you another winter sweater.
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Sponsor a girl’s education in a developing nation or provide health snacks for school children in the United States through donations to Save the Children Gift of Joy.
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Inspire a student's career dreams. At Ed Elements our team regularly volunteers with Citizen Schools to provide an expanded learning day for middle schoolers in low-income communities. Through Citizen Schools students learn from professionals in their field of interest on topics ranging from cooking and fashion design to robotics and architecture. Sign up here to volunteer!
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Buy some Goldieblox for your favorite little girl. If this commercial doesn't make you want to provide all girls with the opportunity to be engineers, I don't know what will.
Whether it’s donating time, funding a teacher’s classroom dream, or buying a gift that funds positive change in the world, I hope this list inspires your gift giving this season!
