Avon Park students get donations from Web site

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

AVON PARK -- A local science teacher has picked up a new way to help gather materials for his classes at Avon Park Middle School, using the Internet and a unique Web site that caters to donations.

Chris Stephan has discovered DonorsChoose.org, and the results have been spectacular, he said.

"I put proposals on the DonorsChoose web site, http://www.donorschoose.org, and people or businesses anywhere around the U.S.A. can give toward the proposal. I have received more than $10,000 in free science materials for my classroom in the past three years," Stephan wrote in an e-mail to the News-Sun.

Here's how it works: Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org.

Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Using a concept called "citizen philanthropy," donators can browse project requests and give any amount to the one project that catches their eye, or is close to their heart.

Once a project reaches its funding goal, DonorsChoose.org delivers the materials to the school.

Donors get photos of their project being delivered, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent.

Donors who give over $100 also receive hand-written thank you letters from the students.

According to their Web site, contributors to DonorsChoose.org "can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions."

"We have been blessed to receive some real nice materials through DonorsChoose," Stephan wrote.