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When Students See Themselves in their Learning, Achievement Soars

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Classroom Diversity Affects Student Outcomes

Teachers know that when students see their identities reflected in their teachers or their learning materials, students have a better shot at success. But across America, there exists a gap between the diversity of teachers and the diversity of students, and research shows this has an impact on student outcomes:

  • 50% of public school students are people of color, but only 20% of their teachers are people of color.
  • The dropout rate among black students decreases by 33% if they have just one black teacher between third and fifth grade.
  • Women are three time less likely to teach math, and two and a half times less likely to teach science.
  • 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.

DonorsChoose is the nonprofit classroom funding site for public school teachers. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a huge swell in teachers requesting resources to help students “see themselves” in the classroom, like a pack of crayons that reflect all skin tones, or a trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C., or a class set of The Hate U Give.

is the nonprofit classroom funding site for public school teachers. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a huge swell in teachers requesting resources to help students “see themselves” in the classroom, like a pack of crayons that reflect all skin tones, or a trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C., or a class set of The Hate U Give.

With support from philanthropists, organizations, and individual donors, DonorsChoose is launching #ISeeMe, a campaign to support classroom projects from underrepresented educators, and from all teachers who seek inclusive materials that reflect their students' identities.

How #ISeeMe Supports Classroom Projects

To celebrate the launch, Google.org is launching their $4M #ISeeMe Match Offer on Thursday, May 16, doubling donations to classroom project requests on DonorsChoose created by teachers of color, women math and science teachers, and teachers of all backgrounds who request materials that reflect their students' identities. To learn more about Google.org’s commitment to #ISeeMe check out their blog, and to see how you can qualify for the match, visit our help center.

Our team is working with philanthropists, organizations, and thought leaders to support #ISeeMe, including Whoopi Goldberg, Former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., and Yellow Chair Foundation. See a full list of #ISeeMe supporters, and learn why they’re choosing to get involved.

Advice for Teachers: Creating Your #ISeeMe Project

Teachers of all backgrounds and identities can request materials to help bring representation, diversity, and inclusion into their classrooms. Not ready to create a project just yet? As you explore how to make sure students can see their identities reflected in your curriculum, free resources abound! Here are some additional resources that folks have recommended:

Create a project

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