A Holiday Gift to Inspire the Future: Help My 7th Graders Reach Their Dreams!

Hello All,

I am a 7th-grade history teacher at a Charter School, and I’m reaching out for your support. I’ve done this before, inspired by my desire to give my then 5th graders an unforgettable experience. I wanted to take them to see a Broadway show, Hadestown. Well, that GoFundMe was a booming success! Not only did God use folks to show up and show out for my students, but they ended up with more than they could have ever imagined. That experience taught me to dream big and reminded me that nothing is impossible if I just ask — and how powerful cultural experiences truly are. For many of my students, that Broadway show was their first, and it’s an experience they will carry with them for life. It opened doors to other opportunities and helped them see a world beyond what they knew.

So, I’m back again — this time with my amazing 7th graders. I work at a Title 1 school, and I honestly couldn’t ask for better students. Despite all that they are working hard to overcome, many of them are simply products of what they know in terms of culture. Inspired by my first Go Fund Me experience with raising money to help my then 5th Graders to see Hadestown, I’ve been on a mission to continue pushing for greatness, because I have students that are destined to do some amazing things in this lifetime. This led me to take a big risk and apply for opportunities this year like seeing Hamilton with "The Gilderman Institute" — and GOD blessed it that we were chosen! Still humbled by that, but It was a huge honor to give my students the opportunity for many of their first Broadway show, and having it be Hamilton was priceless. That experience has left them hungry for more their like sponges taking in all the new culture they can now!

This is why this year, heavy inspiration hit my spirit with an idea I would like to call a “Big Give Back.” I want to provide Christmas presents for all my homeroom students, not just because it’s the holiday season, but because they’ve been working so hard despite the learning setbacks of COVID. My students are overcoming against low reading scores, the lies of self-doubt, and working towards a brighter future. Needless to say it hit my spirit to give them something to remind them that they are seen, that they are loved, and that they are worthy of the greatness I constantly teach them about attaining. But that’s not all. I want to take them to minimum 3 Broadway shows and give them the gift of culture(Currently working with an Organization Called "The Situation Project" to get subsidized tickets to make this happen) — Again these goals to open their eyes to experiences they’ve never had before. I also want to take them to the Science Museum in Queens, as many of them have never been. And I’d love to take them on a visit to see the iconic

Statue of Liberty — a place so many New Yorkers take for granted, but one that would be a first for many of my students.

But I need your help to make this happen. I’ve already used my own money to invest in this dream, but now I need a hand. If you’re able to contribute to my GoFundMe, I would be forever grateful, and my students will be too. From the pictures and the video below of our talk-back/Pow wow Session after seeing The Tony Award Winning Revival Purlie Victorious Pictured Below is an exclusive talk back we were invited too! Mine was the only Middle School to Participate!! I can't help but type this and be emotional but as you can see A Black Male Teacher is out here trying to make new strides and press these scholars toward the mark. Many of my students now have the honor of meeting Tony winners, Grammy winners, Broadway stars, and innovators — and these experiences have changed how they view what’s possible in their own lives.

At the end of the day, isn’t that what this is about? Showing these young children, many of whom are children of color, that there is a world beyond their own, a world full of possibilities they never imagined?

This is where the resources come in. If you can find it within you to give, I, and my wonderful middle schoolers, would be forever grateful. Thank you in advance for investing in my dream, and in theirs.

Happy Holidays, and thank you for your generosity! Bless you All! +