English Teacher Conference

My colleague and I need funds to attend a conference on Adolescent Literature in November.  Our district cannot afford to pay for this and, if we want to attend, we have to pay for everything out of our own pockets.  The money raised would cover the flight, hotel, registration fee, and some money for food. Our Students Students in our classrooms strive to understand multiple perspectives and learn to respect all people through literature and discussions. Our students are diligent workers, question askers, and solution seekers. We explore all kinds of literature and students have a plethora of opportunities to choose the literature they wish to read. Our goal is to have all students walk out of my room with an open mind to learning, reading, and chasing their dreams.  We understand that not all students will love reading, although I wish they would. However, we believe that having safe conversations around real-life issues through literature is a privilege we have as 8th grade English teachers. We want to put diverse books in our students' hands. Our Project Dear potential supporters, Thank you so much for taking time to consider this project! We have attended the ALAN Conference for 3 years now and this conference has given us the gift of bringing over 500 new Young Adult books back to our school and sharing them with all students! Unfortunately, our school and district can't afford to send us again, but the conference is too important to us and our students for us to miss. Therefore, we're giving this a shot. We have the opportunity to learn about new adolescent literature featuring a myriad of genres and topics, ranging from mental health issues to LGBTQ concerns and racial inequity.  During this conference, authors share their vision, journey, and hopes once these novels get into the hands of young readers. The goal is to get relevant, high-interest books into the hands of our young adults so they are able to tackle difficult issues in a safe space. As Donalyn Miller so eloquently states, “Reading changes your life. Reading unlocks worlds unknown or forgotten, taking travelers around the world and through time. Reading helps you escape the confines of school and pursue your own education. Through characters – the saints and the sinners, real or imagined – reading shows you how to be a better human being.”           ― Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child Please follow the links below for more detailed information about the conference and thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,     Heidi Johnson and Kai-Michael Walther ALAN Website: http://www.alan-ya.org/ Alan Conference Information: http://www.alan-ya.org/workshop/ Your donation will cover the following: Flights: $398.24 per person (including checked bags both ways) - $796.48 Hotel: $200 per person - $400 total Conference Fee: $235 per person - $470 total Transportation to and from Houston Airport: $60 total Shipping Books back to School: $100 total Incidentals: $75 a day/person - $450 Any extra funds will be used to purchase more books for our classrooms.