Testing the waters...

We splash in it, swim in it, fish from it, but are our waterways really safe? With the help of water testing kits from DonorsChoose.org, 60 seventh and eighth grade science students set out to answer this question. They discovered that a nearby creek had excessively high levels of nitrogen, traced this to fertilizers being used nearby, and formulated and tested a new hypothesis: that a garden can grow just as well without fertilizers. As they examined the impact of human behavior on nearby waterways, they acquired firsthand knowledge of scientific experimentation, marine biology, and gained a new found love and respect for their wetland environment.

The NEA Foundation funds and supports educator-driven solutions, like this one, to improve student performance. We understand that the best way to help students learn is to help teachers teach. Teachers have great ideas to help their students learn more but often lack the resources they need to bring these ideas to life.

Last year, through our partnership with DonorsChoose.org, we matched public donations to support 1,000 NEA member project requests, like this one, reaching 95,000 public school students. And this year, with your help, we hope to reach even more.

Have a great idea but lack the resources to carry it out? Learn how you can post project requests for classroom materials.

Looking for new ideas for the school year or want to support the work of other teachers? Search for a project by location, subject, or age.