Several teachers at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury have received requested items through a nonprofit called “Donors Choose.”  The teachers wanted to enhance students’ experiences in their classrooms, but rather than compete for limited school budget dollars, they put their names on a “wishlist.”

School officials say the website has been a tremendous boon for learning.

To date “Donors Choose” has mobilized more than two million citizen donors and dozens of corporate and foundation partners to donate more than $600,000 in classroom project funding impacting more than 25 million students. Rogers Park has 930, more than 70 percent of whom receive reduced or free lunch.

Fifty-one Rogers Park teachers have posted 40 projects on Donors Choose and have been funded by 400 supporters, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for a total of $147,100 raised to date.

School counselor Sonia Rivera and Cindy Abbott requested technology and warm clothing through the non-profit site that collects donations for public schools across the country.  Sixth-grade social studies teacher Brian Betesh recently received the four beanbags chairs, four stools, four chairs and a large screen television he needed for classroom projects and activities.  Chris Purdy, an eighth-grade science teachers, has used the website since 2014. He has a 50-inch television monitor and 25 chrome books through the site, and recently added a dozen chairs, lamps and six bean bag chairs to facilitate science talks and student collaboration. Eighth-grade teacher Patty Tracey has been requesting items on the website since 2015. She now has 21 chrome books and a cart to store and charge them.