As an unprecedented school year comes to an end, Tyson Foods is proud to have come alongside educators in our local communities with $1.8M in funding for teacher projects through nonprofit crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose.

Our commitment to teachers helped fund 3,348 classroom projects, covering subjects like literacy and language, math and science, and applied learning. More than 2,400 teachers in 26 states had their classroom requests come to life, representing PreK-2 all the way through 12^th grade.

Some of these projects also touched on food and agriculture, teacher innovation, and racial equity. For example, Ms. Lancaster in Rogers, Ark., shared how her request for diverse books supported students.

“These books have been a gateway to many opportunities in our classroom,” she said. “From individual students checking them out to class read-alouds and book clubs, these diverse books have had a lasting impact on the young lives in our classroom. We were so excited to have the opportunity to read these books written by diverse authors. It has given the students hope and laid the foundation for their dreams to become realities. These books have already begun to make an impact, but they will also have a lasting impact on the future lives that enter this classroom. We sincerely thank you for this opportunity. It means so much to these students to see characters like themselves in these books.”

After her classroom project “Teach Me to Cook” was fully funded, Ms. Bailey from Springdale, Ark., said:

“I cannot describe the positive impact you have had on our classroom. We are blessed to have supporters like you. You are promoting learning and community within our walls. We are so thankful for all of your generosity.”

She was able to purchase kitchen cookware with the funding.

“I wish you could have seen the faces of the students light up when the new cookware was delivered. For some of these students, this is the first time they are getting to cook on their own. For others, they are getting to use high-quality materials. They are also learning to care for items and properly use them and sanitize them for ultimate safety. Thank you so much!!”

Amid a challenging time for so many, we recognize the extraordinary efforts educators have made to make this school year a success. Visit this page for more information on teacher projects funded by Tyson Foods through DonorsChoose.org.