Help us have a SENIOR PROM!
Donation protected
My name is Elle Jones and I teach 12th Grade English and Women's Studies at Castlemont High School in East Oakland, CA.
Castlemont students are resilient and resourceful, though they are up against some difficult circumstances. 100% of Castlemont students are students of color, about 90% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The crime rate in the schools' neighborhood is three times the city average. The neighborhood is considered a "food desert," meaning liquor stores vastly outnumber grocery stores providing reliable access to healthy food. About half of Castlemont students drop out before completing all four years of high school.
As a result, Castlemont was recently designated an "Intensive Support School" by the school district. The school is receiving increased funding to re-design the school into innovative "Pathways." What the school still does not have extra funding for, however, are "extra" activities and experiences - such as Senior Prom.
The amount of money senior Castlemont students have to pay for their end-of-year experiences is far out of range for most students. For graduation caps and gowns, a custom sweatshirt, a senior breakfast and trip (one of only two real field trips over the entire school year), senior portraits, a yearbook, and other expenses (and not including makeup and dress for prom and portraits for most of the young women), the costs are over $300 for each student.
As you might imagine, these costs are out of range for most Castlemont seniors. As a result, the school does not have enough money to throw a proper Senior Prom. The school has suggested opening up tickets to Freshman and Sophomore students, which has never been the school's tradition and feels unfair to current Seniors. The location of prom is also going to be determined by how much money can be raised.
The seniors have already raised over $1000 from food sales and other small fundrasiers, and are planning to continue to raise as much as possible. That's where you come in!
Please donate any amount from $1 - $1000 to the Castlemont Seniors Prom Fund. These students have struggled, strived, and risen above their circumstances to graduate high school and deserve to celebrate at the end of the year! You can help make that possible.
Castlemont students are resilient and resourceful, though they are up against some difficult circumstances. 100% of Castlemont students are students of color, about 90% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The crime rate in the schools' neighborhood is three times the city average. The neighborhood is considered a "food desert," meaning liquor stores vastly outnumber grocery stores providing reliable access to healthy food. About half of Castlemont students drop out before completing all four years of high school.
As a result, Castlemont was recently designated an "Intensive Support School" by the school district. The school is receiving increased funding to re-design the school into innovative "Pathways." What the school still does not have extra funding for, however, are "extra" activities and experiences - such as Senior Prom.
The amount of money senior Castlemont students have to pay for their end-of-year experiences is far out of range for most students. For graduation caps and gowns, a custom sweatshirt, a senior breakfast and trip (one of only two real field trips over the entire school year), senior portraits, a yearbook, and other expenses (and not including makeup and dress for prom and portraits for most of the young women), the costs are over $300 for each student.
As you might imagine, these costs are out of range for most Castlemont seniors. As a result, the school does not have enough money to throw a proper Senior Prom. The school has suggested opening up tickets to Freshman and Sophomore students, which has never been the school's tradition and feels unfair to current Seniors. The location of prom is also going to be determined by how much money can be raised.
The seniors have already raised over $1000 from food sales and other small fundrasiers, and are planning to continue to raise as much as possible. That's where you come in!
Please donate any amount from $1 - $1000 to the Castlemont Seniors Prom Fund. These students have struggled, strived, and risen above their circumstances to graduate high school and deserve to celebrate at the end of the year! You can help make that possible.
Organizer
Elle Jones
Organizer
Oakland, CA
