Donate to Foster Trust and Success in Special Education

Back Again: THE GATORADE FUND

The Intro:

My name is Mike Kranick and I am a Special Educator of Secondary ELA at Joseph C. Briscoe Academy #345 within the Baltimore City Public Schools System. I wanted to share my story regarding how Gatorade has been the foundational piece I have used to foster community in my classes over the past seven years, and to ask for your support in donating to my class and school’s Gatorade Fund.

The School:

Joseph C. Briscoe Academy is a separate-public-alternative-day school specifically catering to students receiving special education services with the primary diagnoses of emotional-behavioral disorders. The majority of our students have been transferred or expelled from numerous schools across the district due to the severity of their disabilities and have been shuffled along in the list system with hundreds of pages worth of documentation that labels my students as “bad kids.” Ultimately, Briscoe is sometimes the last stop in public education for students who are enrolled, and, due to the severity of manifestations of their disabilities, if our school cannot support and educate students with everything we have, then the next stop is a private institution that is funded by the parents of the student, or worse.

The Ritual:

Every class period, with their permission and acceptance, I provide my students with an 8-ounce bottle of Gatorade. Whether they accept this offering or not is of their own volition, but this gesture is how I foster relationship-building between myself and my students.

The Reason:

There are a variety of reasons why I provide your product to my students: 1.) students get their thirsts quenched upon entry, which will put them in a more relaxed state, 2.) students come from their physical education course and are hot, sweaty, and tired, and the Gatorade allows them to cool down, and 3.) I was always taught to provide for my guests whenever I host a gathering, and what better way to start class on a positive note than providing a welcoming ritual via Gatorade? By providing them with a Gatorade every day for 180 days in the school year, my students know that I am consistent and dedicated to their success every day regardless of the baggage they carry with them. They know that I am here for them, that they can let their guard down, and that they can be safe with me. A student's safety leads them to develop their executive functioning abilities, the process of which students can make decisions appropriately and not have to return to the survival modes of fight or flight. Without Gatorade as the foundational piece to build trust, regardless of my abilities as a teacher to manage my classroom, I would not have had nearly the success I earned throughout these past five years.

The Ask:

My goal and ask from you is $720 in donations for one quarter's worth of Gatorades (see "The Math" section below). Any donation big or small is welcome and appreciated! Your generosity will ensure that my students will be hydrated, foster trust, and feel welcome in my classroom every day!

The Math (Remember: I'm an English teacher):

-Approximately $11 per one 12 pack of 80z Gatorades

-Approximately 24 Students

-180 School Days

-Approximately $990 per quarter spent on Gatorade

-Approximately $3,960 per school year spent on Gatorade